New era for the clean energy industry in the UK

Major funding for two carbon capture sites will inject growth into the industrial heartlands of the North West and North East of England – directly creating 4000 jobs and supporting 50 000 jobs in the long-term while powering up the rest of the country.

This comes 10 days before the government’s set-piece International Investment Summit which is poised to put the UK back at the global table – kickstarting a decade of economic renewal and giving business confidence and opportunity to invest in the UK.

CCUS technology removes CO₂ emissions before it reaches the atmosphere and stores it safely beneath the seabed – using tried and tested technology that has been deployed across the globe for over 20 years.

In a boost for economic growth and protecting the environment, the new carbon capture and CCUS enabled hydrogen projects will create 4000 new jobs, sustain important British industry, and help remove over 8.5 million tpy of carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking around 4 million cars off the road.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband are visiting the North West today (4 October 2024) to confirm the funding for two sites in Teesside and Merseyside, which are expected to bring in £8 billion of private investment into these communities.

These projects will set the UK on course to become a global leader in CCUS and hydrogen – delivering good jobs and turbocharged growth for decades to come.

Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: "We’re reigniting our industrial heartlands by investing in the industry of the future. For the past 14 years, business has been second-guessing a dysfunctional government – which has set us back and caused an economic slump. Today’s announcement will give industry the certainty it needs – committing to 25 years of funding in this groundbreaking technology – to help deliver jobs, kickstart growth, and repair this country once and for all."

Today’s announcement confirms up to £21.7 billion of funding available, over 25 years, to make the UK an early leader in two growing global sectors, CCUS and hydrogen, to be allocated between these two clusters. The UK’s commitment was first made in 2009, and the confirmation of funding today represents a major success story for UK industry.

In the week in which the UK became the first industrialised nation to end its 150-year usage of coal to produce power, the nation now begins a new era of clean energy technology. The UK has enough capacity to store 200 years’ worth of emissions – making CCUS a revolutionary method in tackling the climate crisis and helping industry to decarbonise.

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, said: "On Monday, 150 years of coal in this country came to an end. Today, a new era begins. By securing this funding, we pave the way for securing the clean energy revolution that will rebuild Britain’s industrial heartlands. I was proud to kickstart the industry in 2009, and I am even prouder today to turn it into reality. This funding is a testament to the power of an active government working in partnership with businesses to deliver good jobs for our communities."

This announcement will also help turbocharge the low-carbon hydrogen sector by paving the way for the UK’s first large-scale hydrogen production plant, decarbonising vital industrial sectors.

It also marks a game-changing development in the mission to tackle climate change – protecting the environment from harmful emissions at a time when the UK has seen a year of record-breaking temperatures. It follows advice from the independent Climate Change Committee, who described CCUS as critical for decarbonising the UK’s heavy industry and a 'necessity' for the UK to reach its legally binding target for net zero emissions by 2050.

An up and running carbon capture industry is expected to add around £5 billion per year to the UK economy by 2050 and the backing of these two sites sends a clear signal to investors that the UK is open for business.

As part of the partnership with GB Energy and The Crown Estate, the progress on Track-1 comes as The Crown Estate awarded an Agreement for Lease to Eni to repurpose existing infrastructure to transport and store CO₂, reducing cost and environmental impact.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/04102024/new-era-for-the-clean-energy-industry-in-the-uk/