19.10.2021

Significant Milestone for Net Zero as UK Announces First CCUS Clusters

19th October 2021, London – The Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), the trade body for the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) industry in the UK, welcomes today’s announcement of the first successful CCUS clusters that will be taken forward following the Government’s Cluster Sequencing competition.

The successful clusters are:

  • The East Coast Cluster – a collaboration between Zero Carbon Humber, Net Zero Teesside and Northern Endurance Partnership, deploying CCUS across Humber and Teesside.
  • HyNet North West – a CCUS and hydrogen energy project which will deliver low carbon hydrogen and CCUS in the North West of England and North Wales.

In addition, the Scottish Cluster – which is centred around the Acorn CCS project based in the North East of Scotland – was announced as a reserve cluster.

Ruth Herbert, Chief Executive of the CCSA said:

“The UK has today taken a significant step towards meeting its net zero target, by selecting the first projects that will start capturing and storing carbon dioxide in the mid-2020s. These first clusters will showcase the breadth of applications for CCUS; including industrial decarbonisation, clean hydrogen production and greenhouse gas removal – and will make a significant contribution to regional growth and levelling up in some of the UK’s key industrial heartlands.

It is now absolutely critical that the industry has clarity over the long-term rollout of CCUS. If we are to achieve our climate goals, and the Climate Change Committee’s target of capturing 22 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, the industry and wider supply chain need a clear line of sight to the future delivery of CCUS across the country. The CCSA looks forward to working with Government to bring forward the next phases of clusters.

Ahead of next week’s Spending Review, we are calling for the Government to introduce a delivery plan for CCUS – setting annual spending budgets over the next decade to give the industry certainty to invest in projects now. As the UK prepares to host COP26 in November, we believe this commitment will send a strong signal that the UK is serious about meeting the Paris Agreement and becoming a global leader in this crucial planet-saving technology.”

Andy Lane, MD of Northern Endurance Partnership, said:

“Today is a significant milestone on our country’s journey to net zero emissions by 2050. We are delighted that the East Coast Cluster has been selected and we will look forward to delivering our project, removing up to 50% of the UK’s industrial cluster CO2 emissions, creating tens of thousands of jobs and establishing the UK as a leader in the energy transition”.

David Parkin, Project Director for HyNet said:

“We are delighted that HyNet has been selected to progress within Track 1 of the industrial decarbonisation Cluster Sequencing process.

HyNet is led by the demand from organisations and stakeholders across the North West of England and North Wales, who all want to reduce carbon emissions to Net Zero.

Carbon capture and storage is fundamental to decarbonising our industrial sector, and that is what HyNet delivers, safeguarding existing jobs across the region and creating around 6,000 new employment opportunities to support the levelling up of the UK.  HyNet also kickstarts the Hydrogen economy.

As one of the first industrial decarbonisation clusters, we will establish the blueprint to decarbonise our industry and position the UK as a low carbon global leader.”

Nick Cooper (CEO of Storegga) on behalf of the Scottish Cluster said:

“Whilst we are disappointed of the outcome of the sequencing bid, we remain convinced of the potential and significant advantages of the Scottish Cluster and are committed to the development of CCS to support decarbonisation of UK industry and power. We have been very clear that all of the current clusters need to be operating to meet UK net zero targets and will be seeking support to progress as soon as possible. The Scottish Cluster has been selected as a reserve project and we will continue engaging with Government to progress its development and planning. The Acorn project will play a significant role in achieving UK Net Zero and will be developed.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

On the 19th October, the Government announced the results of the first phase of the CCUS cluster sequencing competition. The statement by the Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change, Greg Hands, can be found here.

For media enquiries please contact Judith Shapiro on 07719763133 or email judith.shapiro@ccsassociation.org

To find out more about the Carbon Capture Storage Association (CCSA) please visit the CCSA website at http://www.ccsassociation.org/.

CCUS, or Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, is a key low carbon solution that the Climate Change Committee has assessed as being vital to meeting the UK’s statutory Net Zero target. CCUS enables the production of clean power, clean products (such as steel and cement) and clean hydrogen – which can then be used to decarbonise heating and transport. In addition to taking the carbon out of industrial processes, CCUS enables additional greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere, through sustainable bioenergy and CCS (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACS).

The UK is fortunate to have advanced CCUS project proposals in all of the major industrial regions; including Humber, Teesside, Merseyside, Scotland and South Wales. These projects demonstrate the breadth of applications and industries for which CCUS provides a vital net zero solution.

If you would like more information on CCUS please get in touch using the above details.