By Carole Dennett
ExxonMobil’s proposed Solent CO2 Pipeline is stirring up plenty of controversy. When I got the chance to interview Michael Foley, their low-carbon solutions executive, I jumped at it, hoping for some straightforward answers.
The venue was Brighstone’s Wilberforce Hall, bustling with activity since midday. I arrived around 3pm, to be told I couldn’t take a photo due to privacy “of staff and visitors”. Even shots without staff and with permission from visitors were banned. Interesting!
How many staff were present? Between 10 and 20 – none from the Island.
I looked up Mr Foley’s LinkedIn profile, which describes him as “leveraging engineering, leadership, and global energy sector experiences to help progress climate change solutions”. Impressive and charming – he wasn’t any good at answering straightforward questions though!
I kicked off the interview with a simple question, “Why can’t it go under the sea?” He responded with, “I think it’s helpful to talk about why carbon capture and storage is important.” Blimey! Who was interviewing who here?
After a lengthy monologue about carbon capture, I tried again. This time, his answer was a word salad about technical challenges.
They had “evaluated that option” and it wasn’t feasible. I pressed some more. “The engineering work we have done, given the challenges of the water, the tides, and the shallow area near Hurst Castle, we don’t think it is feasible.” When I pointed out we managed to lay a fuel pipeline to France during WWII, he didn’t budge, making it clear they only had to justify their route choices to the Planning Inspectorate – not those whose lives and homes will be affected.
More unanswered questions
The rest of the interview was equally frustrating. For instance:
“What happens if the pipeline is damaged?”
“Pipeline transportation is one of the safest forms of transportation versus boats and ships. We will have to comply with safety regulations and there will be layers of safety.”
“Yes, I understand that, but you could say the same about air travel, and planes still crash.”
“Part of the process we will go through is to do a very detailed and comprehensive risk assessment to demonstrate that the safety measures we are building in and the responses that we are building in satisfactorily mitigates any risk.”
“Yes – but if the pipe were beneath us now and it burst, would we die? Would wildlife die?” “Well, it’s difficult to say. CO2 is not combustible or flammable. We haven’t done the engineering yet and it depends where it happens in the proximity to the safety systems.”
And on it went, each question met with another round of corporate jargon.
Other questions “Will petitions make any difference?”, “What would be the benefit to the Island and Islanders?”, “Would it damage our UNESCO Biosphere status?”, “Do any other Biosphere areas have CO2 pipelines running through them”, “If the government’s ambitions to reduce CO2 emissions are successful, will the pipeline be needed?” and “How has the replacement of the pipeline from Fawley to Heathrow gone?” also received non-answers.
Some straight talking
Frustrated, I thanked him and turned to chat to the Islanders at the event. They were much more straightforward, expressing concerns that their lives, homes, and the environment would be negatively impacted.
One local summed up the feelings of many perfectly, “I just know they are going to consult us to death and when we think we’ve let them know our views, they’ll do a final consultation – and very few people will respond and they’ll claim nobody cares.”
Local councillor, Nick Stuart, opposes the plans, saying, “ExxonMobil are desperate for this as they have made a massive investment in Fawley and they face very high carbon taxes which would damage their financial plans.
“They are trying to present this to Islanders as a ‘done deal’. I have heard, from various people, that they are telling landowners that they must allow access for surveys, or they will take them to court. They have made it clear that the Island is their preference and are trying to make us choose between one route or the other – we must oppose the whole scheme. It is heart-warming to see how many Islanders care passionately about our landscape.”
Some more views
I did get a view about the Fawley-Heathrow pipeline from a businessman who lives on the Island. David Holmes said: “Their pipeline carries all the A1 jet fuel. Millions of gallons are moved every week because every single flight depends on it.
“It’s been replaced in recent years and some of my shops are on the route. The works have infuriated people because they have gone on far longer than promised. In Farnborough and Staines, the works and mud seem to have become a permanent feature. The pipeline to nowhere across the Island would devastate the local area for years too, and there’s no guarantee it will carry anything!”
“Wednesday’s traffic chaos, when Forest Road is closed, indicated we are always on the edge of gridlock. Hasn’t the Island got enough roadworks?”
Another concerned resident is West Wight MP, Richard Quigley, who agrees it is all about money. “Nowhere do they talk about a reduction in producing CO2, only business as usual. The technology isn’t 100 per cent proven and, as a company, they don’t have a great record. Carving up the Island so they can ‘greenwash’ their operation isn’t something I can support.”
Another consultation event takes place today (Friday) in the Phoenix Knights Centre at Gurnard Pines, near Cowes, from 10.30am until 6.30pm, and on Saturday at the same times in Niton Village Hall, but given the lack of answers, it’s hard to see how these will ease local concerns.
The consultation website can be accessed via iw.observer/solent-pipeline and a petition against the plans which already has more than 3,600 signatures can be found at iw.observer/pipeline-petition or use the QR code.