Trial Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
Introduction
We submitted our planning applications to East Riding of Yorkshire Council in early February 2026. Our applications can now be viewed on East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s planning portal:
- Application for compound, access, and above ground works (26/00332/STPLF)
- Application for underground works (26/00333/STPLF)
We also submitted separate applications to North Lincolnshire Council at the end of 2025. These applications can still be viewed on North Lincolnshire Council’s planning portal using the links below:
- Application for compound and above ground works (PA/2025/1598)
- Application for underground works (PA/2025/1600)
East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Council will be leading the consultation and planning process. Enquiries and feedback to the formal consultations on the applications should therefore be sent directly to the relevant local authority contact.
If you would like to view what we consulted on during summer 2025, please click here.
The Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline is a proposal for an underground pipeline to transport carbon dioxide produced by industrial projects in the Humber region to secure offshore storage under the North Sea. The pipeline would run between the Drax area and Easington. The pipeline is essential for the UK to meet its net zero targets. Further information on the proposed pipeline is available here.
As we develop our proposals for the pipeline, we are looking at ways to reduce our impact on local communities and the environment. This includes considering how best to lay the pipeline under the Humber, between the Goxhill/East Halton and Paull/Thorngumbald areas.
Previous pipelines that ran under the Humber have been installed using a traditional tunnelling technique. However, we are looking at using a different method, called Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). Compared to tunnelling, HDD would be quicker, have a reduced environmental impact and generate less construction traffic on the local highway network.
To confirm whether HDD can be used we need to undertake a trial from both sides of the Humber and carry out some other surveys.
We are applying for permission to undertake:
- Drilling activities from the south side of the Humber requiring a temporary compound near East Halton and Goxhill, between East Marsh Road and Skitter Road. These works will require planning permission from North Lincolnshire Council.
- Drilling activities from the north side of the Humber requiring a temporary compound near Paull and Thorngumbald, near Dark Lane and Newlands Lane. These works will require planning permission from East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
These works will allow us to check that the HDD method is appropriate for the local ground conditions and determine whether it could be used for installing the Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline under the Humber.