Introduction

The Point of Ayr (PoA) Terminal is a key strategic site within the Liverpool Bay Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Transportation and Storage (T&S) Project, which plays a vital role in supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions across north Wales and the north west of England..

Two major workstreams are now underway to transform the PoA Terminal:

• the PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works, which involves laying a combined new electric and fibre-optic cable between the PoA Terminal and the New Douglas Offshore CCS Platform; and
• the PoA Decommissioning and Site Preparation Works, which follows the cessation of oil and gas production (COP), and focuses on preparing the PoA Terminal and surrounding Colliery area for future CO₂ transportation and storage operations.

These developments will enable PoA to carry out a key role in safely transporting CO₂ for safe storage in the depleted gas fields beneath Liverpool Bay.

PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works

The PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works includes the laying of a new combined electric and fibre-optic cable to connect the onshore grid at the PoA Terminal to the New Douglas Offshore CCS Platform in Liverpool Bay to supply the power and upgraded telecommunications needed to support the receipt and distribution of CO₂ to the storage sites.

The PoA Cable Route Foreshore Works Proposed Development sought re-authorisation for part of the same cable installation works already consented in May 2024 under application reference number: FUL/000246/23. The revised application sought authorisation for a new alignment of the electrical and fibre-optic cable that is approximately 250m further east along Talacre Beach. The planning application for the Proposed Development was submitted in August 2025 to Flintshire County Council (FCC), following a period of statutory Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) from 16 June to 14 July 2025.

The planning application was approved by the FCC’s planning committee in November 2025. Construction is expected to begin in February 2026 with the appointed principal contractor, Boskalis. To view the application, please visit FCC’s Public Access system using the following reference number: FUL/000705/25.

PoA Decommissioning and Site Preparation Works

Following the COP at Eni UK’s facilities in Liverpool Bay in December 2024, we are now decommissioning and repurposing the existing infrastructure at the PoA Terminal to facilitate its integration into the Liverpool Bay T&S infrastructure.

Decommissioning and Site Preparation Works at the PoA Terminal and surrounding Colliery area began in September 2025, with planning consent for this work granted by FCC in May 2024 under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) 1990 (as amended). These works will play a crucial role in preparing the PoA Terminal for future carbon transportation and storage operations and ensure it is ready for the equipment to transport and store CO₂ offshore. The construction phase, including the preparation for installing new equipment, will begin in early 2026 by the main contractor, Saipem.