Wigan's gas network to receive major upgrade as part of £80m investment

More than 17,000m of pipe will be enhanced across the borough by provider Cadent.

The gas provider will modernise around 418km of its North West pipeline over the next 12 months.

This is the same length as 4,000 football pitches, or the same height as more than 2,600 Blackpool Towers.

The £80m investment will be delivered by 600 skilled gas engineers.

It will be upgrading vital pipes to plastic to ensure a long-term safe network, as well as remain on track to replace fossil gas with hydrogen.

This change is essential to achieve local plans for meeting energy demands in ways that better protect the planet.

As part of its commitment to keeping customers safe and warm, every year Cadent replaces around 1.5 per cent of its 34,000km North West underground distribution system. These are mostly ageing metallic mains nearing the end of their safe operating lives.

The work is part of a bigger 30-year engineering programme, which is happening across the UK and is due to finish in 2032.

Mark Syers, Head of Investment Planning Office (North West),who leads the team delivering Cadent’s gas mains upgrade work in the region, said: “More than 80 per cent of homes in the North West rely on gas for central heating and it’s our job to make sure they get it, safely and reliably, every minute of every day of the year.

“As our older stock reaches the end of its safe working life, we must replace it.

"We’re also excited by the arrival soon of hydrogen to our networks, which is going to be essential to the North West achieving its targets to reduce carbon emissions.

“In most cases we’re able to insert the new pipe into the old one, a technique that reduces the time of each project and means we don’t have to dig as much.

“It also means an end to what often becomes increasingly-frequent visits – with associated disruption – to repair faults on the older metallic mains, as they start to show signs of age.

"We know it’s not ideal, but my team is determined to move as quickly as they safely can and get the work done with as little disruption as possible.”