HyNet build-out boosts jobs and economic growth to further support carbon capture in the North West and North Wales  

• Ten projects now in negotiations phase to join the HyNet CO2 transport and storage network. This will unlock skilled jobs in the region and low carbon power. 

• Five projects classified as Priority which includes two new projects of Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power and Ince Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (InBECCS) alongside three existing projects; Protos Energy Recovery Facility (Encyclis), Padeswood Cement Plant (Heidelberg Materials), and Hydrogen Production Plant 1 (EETH). 

• Five projects have also been selected as standby projects to connect to the network in the future, depending on future capacity. 

• Projects on the standby list will also be critical to protecting and decarbonising the region’s industrial activities. The CCSA urges the Government to continue to develop a clear pathway for their connection to HyNet. 

[London, 5 August] HyNet, one of the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation clusters, is advancing with the announcement that five projects are now priority for negotiations to connect to the HyNet CO₂ transport and storage network and permanently remove their CO2. This marks another step forward in the UK’s clean energy transition.  

The Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) welcomes the commitment to two new priority projects in the North West and North Wales building on the excellent news of Financial Close on Liverpool Bay CCS earlier this year. Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power project in North Wales will play an important role in delivering reliable dispatchable clean power by 2030, and Evero’s Ince Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (InBECCS) in Cheshire will be the first in the UK to deliver engineered greenhouse gas removals, advancing the establishment of this critical sector. 

Alongside these two new projects entering priority negotiations are the previously prioritised; Protos Energy Recovery Facility (Enclyclis), Padeswood Cement Plant (Heidelberg Materials), and Hydrogen Production Plant 1 (EETH). These projects will provide the UK’s first; 

• Low-carbon cement, essential for building our homes and hospitals  

• Low-carbon hydrogen, essential for powering our local industries  

• Energy from waste, essential for decarbonising our waste streams  

Despite the welcomed progress announced today, the number of projects on the standby list – all of which have invested significant sums to date in the development of their projects – makes clear that there must be a long-term plan for bringing additional projects to market. This is vital to decarbonising our foundational industries and delivering secure clean power. 

The Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) is engaging with the Government to ensure that these, and other projects can move forward as the market scales up, including industry working with consumers to grow demand for low carbon products. This is vital to ensuring the UK’s long-term decarbonisation targets can be met and industrial competitiveness preserved. 

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, said: 

“Today’s news is another clear signal that the UK is serious about delivering carbon capture and storage. The build-out of HyNet not only strengthens energy security and climate action, but it also brings real, skilled jobs and vital long-term investment to communities in the North West and North Wales.” 

“However, we need a long-term plan for bringing the projects on standby to market. If our industrial heartlands are to decarbonise and remain competitive, it’s crucial the Government sets out a clear, long-term pathway that allows more emitters and industries to connect to the CO₂ transport and storage network. This will be alongside industry working with consumers to grow demand for low carbon products. We must fully utilise our world-class storage resources to reach net zero and grow our economy.” 

Notes to Editor  

• Interview requests: To interview Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, please contact sara.price@ccsassociation.org  

• For a briefing call on CCUS, please contact Sara Price on 07825235313 / sara.price@ccsassociation.org  

• Press Pack: An FAQ, infographics and an animation accompany the press release for use. Various press items can be found under “CCSA Press Pack” on the CCSA website HERE   

Project Negotiation List 

Priority for negotiations:   

• Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power, Uniper, Connah’s Quay (North Wales)   

• Ince Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (InBECCS), Evero Energy, Ellesmere Port (Cheshire)  

• Protos Energy Recovery Facility, Encyclis, Ellesmere Port (Cheshire)   

• Hanson Padeswood Cement Works Carbon Capture Project, Heidelberg Materials, Padeswood (North Wales)    

• Hydrogen Production Plant 1 (HPP1), EET Hydrogen, Stanlow (Cheshire)   

Standby projects: 

• Silver Birch, Climeworks UK Ltd , Stanlow (Cheshire)   

• Essar Energy Transition Industrial Carbon Capture (EET ICC), EET Fuels, Stanlow (Cheshire)   

• Hydrogen Production Plant 2 (HPP2), EET Hydrogen / Progressive Energy, Stanlow (Cheshire)   

• Parc Adfer Energy from Waste Industrial Carbon Capture Project, Enfinium Group Ltd, Deeside (North Wales)   

• Runcorn Carbon Capture Project, Viridor, Runcorn (Cheshire)    

This announcement builds on: 

• The commitment of up to £21.7 billion over 25 years to support the rollout of HyNet and the East Coast Cluster 

• The £9.4 billion CCUS funding announced in the most recent Spending Review, which includes funding to fill the capacity of HyNet and the East Coast Cluster 

• And recent key milestones including Financial Close on Net Zero Teesside Power and the Northern Endurance Partnership (December 2024), and Liverpool Bay CCS (April 2025). 

About the CCSA  

CCUS, or Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, is a key low carbon solution – vital to meeting the UK’s statutory Net Zero target at least cost. CCUS enables industrial decarbonisation as well as the production of clean power, clean products (such as cement and chemicals) and clean hydrogen – which can also be used to decarbonise industry. In addition, CCUS also enables greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere through Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACS) or Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS).  

The CCSA is the trade association accelerating the commercial deployment of CCUS, with offices in the UK and Belgium. We work with members, governments and other organisations to ensure CCUS is developed and deployed at the pace and scale necessary to meet net zero goals and deliver sustainable growth across regions and nations.  

The CCSA currently has over 120 member companies who are active in exploring and developing different applications of carbon capture and removals, CO2 transportation by pipeline and ship, utilisation, geological storage, and other permanent storage solutions, end-users in the power, industry, waste management, fuels, and hydrogen production sectors, plus supply chain, engineering, construction and management, legal and financial consulting sectors.  

About HyNet  

HyNet plays a central role in delivering reliable low carbon power alongside renewables, and decarbonising vital British industries. HyNet will utilise Liverpool Bay CCS for CO2 transportation and storage, repurposing an existing gas pipeline to capture carbon emitted by industrial plants and permanently lock them away. The transport and storage network, which reached financial close in April 2025, will store up to 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road. 

Today the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced a tailored skills programme for oil and gas workers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Following the launch, Mark Sommerfield, CCSA UK Director, said:

“The CCSA strongly welcomes today’s announcement to provide tailored support to oil and gas workers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire delivered in partnership between the UK Government, Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland. Providing careers advice and funding for training is a vital step in helping workers move into key growth sectors like hydrogen and CCUS.

The Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund, backed by £900,000 of UK Government funding will help build the pipeline of skilled workers needed to make Britain a clean energy superpower as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Scaling up CCUS is essential not only for achieving our climate commitments, but also for ensuring a just transition, this includes leveraging the deep expertise of our skilled oil and gas workforce to drive forward clean energy and industrial decarbonisation projects across the country. The CCSA looks forward to working with the Government and industry to bring workers on this journey and help deliver a future energy system that is sustainable, secure, and rooted in local communities.”

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, commented:

“The investment from the NWF in the Peak Cluster, alongside the companies involved, will support the project to Final Investment Decision. This is the NWF’s first investment in CCUS and recognises the crucial role of carbon capture and storage in securing the future of industries that provide the materials we rely on to build homes, hospitals and schools, while safeguarding jobs and boosting economic growth.”

Notes to Editor 

Interview requests: To interview Mark Sommerfeld, UK Director at the CCSA, please contact sara.price@ccsassociation.org

For a briefing call on CCUS, please contact Sara Price on 07825235313 / sara.price@ccsassociation.org Press Pack: An FAQ, infographics and an animation accompany the press release for use. Various press items can be found under “CCSA Press Pack” on the CCSA website HERE 

About the CCSA 

CCUS, or Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, is a key low carbon solution – vital to meeting the UK’s statutory Net Zero target at least cost. CCUS enables industrial decarbonisation as well as the production of clean power, clean products (such as cement and chemicals) and clean hydrogen – which can also be used to decarbonise industry. In addition, CCUS also enables greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere through Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACS) or Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS). 

The CCSA is the trade association accelerating the commercial deployment of CCUS, with offices in the UK and Belgium. We work with members, governments and other organisations to ensure CCUS is developed and deployed at the pace and scale necessary to meet net zero goals and deliver sustainable growth across regions and nations. 

The CCSA currently has over 120 member companies who are active in exploring and developing different applications of carbon capture and removals, CO2 transportation by pipeline and ship, utilisation, geological storage, and other permanent storage solutions, end-users in the power, industry, waste management, fuels, and hydrogen production sectors, plus supply chain, engineering, construction and management, legal and financial consulting sectors.

The CCSA welcomes the publication of the UK’s Trade Strategy, an important milestone that builds on the Industrial and Infrastructure Strategies to harness the UK’s technological strengths, drive sustainable growth, and boost exports and international investment.

As a Frontier Clean Energy Industry identified in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the UK’s Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) sector is exceptionally well placed to take advantage of new trade opportunities. The UK is already a global leader in innovation, advanced technology, and export-ready services such as CO₂ storage.

The CCSA particularly welcomes key elements of the Strategy that support the clean energy sector, including:

• Increased funding for UK Export Finance
• Mutual recognition of professional qualifications
• Strengthening of clean energy and green trade agreements

These measures will drive economic growth, support high-quality jobs, attract foreign direct investment, and accelerate the UK’s role as a global CCUS leader in the transition to net zero.

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, said:

“With UK businesses facing tough global trading conditions, the Trade Strategy presents a vital opportunity to unlock our export potential. The UK has world-leading expertise, infrastructure, and export-ready services such as CO₂ storage, meaning that the CCUS sector is well placed to support both domestic growth and international decarbonisation efforts. But Government needs to recognise and work to safeguard our foundational industries – including refining and fuels. By doing so, we can strengthen our clean energy partnerships, unlock investment, and deliver long-term economic and climate benefits.”

Representing the entire energy value chain, from producers to industrial users, clean tech solution providers, and infrastructure operators, the co-signatories call on the European Commission to acknowledge their serious concerns with the current draft Delegated Act defining the GHG methodology for low carbon hydrogen and its derivatives, and to work with industry representatives on amendments.

The new version of this essential secondary legislation would make it overly difficult – if not practically impossible – to produce low carbon hydrogen and fuels, be it in the EU or at global level and imported to the EU.

We urge the European Commission to amend the revised draft to ensure it enables the production and import of all types of low carbon hydrogen and fuels and recognises better environmental performances. This is critical for supporting the scale up of the hydrogen market in Europe, which already faces major challenges that undermine EU’s ability to meet its climate objectives.

Read the full statement here: Urgent need for European Commission

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA said:

“We are delighted to see the Government’s continued commitment to Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS), including Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs), as a frontier industry. This rightly positions CCUS and GGRs as a core pillar in delivering on three vital national objectives: reaching net zero, driving regional growth, and strengthening economic security.

The UK’s CCUS industry stands ready to deliver and is pleased to see Government’s prioritisation of cross-border CO₂ transport and storage networks in the North Sea, recognising the significant economic benefits for both UK and EU CCUS projects. This builds on the positive momentum from the recent UK-EU Summit – alongside the support confirmed in the Spending Review.

Following these government commitments, a clear timetable for deployment is essential to secure investment, as well as investment in scaling up supply chains and growing the workforce needed to deliver at pace. With continued partnership between government and industry, CCUS can anchor a new era of sustainable industrial growth – one that revitalises communities, boosts energy resilience and ensures the UK leads in tackling climate change.”

Mark Sommerfeld, UK Director at the CCSA, said:

“Building on the recent Spending Review, the CCSA welcomes the publication of the UK’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy and the Government’s continued commitment to Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) as a vital enabler of industrial decarbonisation, clean power and economic growth.

We are pleased to see that the strategy supports deploying essential CCUS infrastructure needed to establish a world-leading CCUS industry. This includes reaffirming construction funding to fill the storage capacity of the East Coast Cluster and HyNet, and development funding to progress the Acorn Project and Viking CCS to Final Investment Decision this Parliament.

CCUS is critical to protecting the UK’s industrial heartlands and will play a key role in delivering the Strategy’s regional growth ambitions—supporting regions like Teesside, the Humber, the Northwest and Scotland to thrive in a low-carbon economy. This is already taking shape through growing UK supply chains underpinning recently approved projects.

The CCSA and its members look forward to working with Government to turn this strategy into action. Doing so will require a clear timetable for delivery—building on recent Spending Review decisions—to provide the certainty needed to unlock long-term investment and job creation across the CCUS sector.”