Two major carbon transportation and storage projects in Teesside and Humber have taken a major step forward.
The Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) will connect Teesside and Humber industrial sites with an aquifer that is 1000m below the seabed, 145km off the coast. Project partners Equinor, BP and TotalEnergies have confirmed they have committed to funding the multibillion-pound project and will start work mid-next year.
It comes as the site that will be used for storage, known as the Endurance saline aquifer, has been awarded the UK’s first ever carbon storage permit via the North Sea Transition Authority which licenses and regulates energy companies activities in the North Sea. The permit means the NEP partners can make the first injection of carbon – from three Teesside projects and yet to be selected projects in the Humber region – into the aquifer from 2027, with a permitted rate of four million tonnes per year.
At the same time as the NEP decision, Net Zero Teesside Power – the “first of its kind” gas-fired power plant with carbon capture at the Teesworks site – has also moved the next phase of its development. Project partners Equinor and bp say the facility could create thousands of jobs in its construction and could create and 1,000 jobs during its operation.
The two projects are said to have a combined value of around £4bn.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “This investment launches a new era for clean energy in Britain – boosting energy security, backing industries, and supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs in Teesside and the North East. This is the Government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower in action- replacing Britain’s energy insecurity with homegrown clean power that rebuilds the strength of our industrial heartlands.”
Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president of MMP at Equinor, said: “It is a major milestone to have agreed final investment decision and financial close on two of the UK’s first carbon capture, transport and storage infrastructure projects. This demonstrates how the industry, alongside the UK Government, have progressed a business model for new power supply and carbon capture, transport and storage services to decarbonise the most carbon intensive region in the UK.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners and the UK Government as we prepare to progress the projects, with an estimated operational date from 2028 onwards.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said: “This is yet another landmark moment in the development of a world-leading development right here in Teesside. This transformational project that will deliver thousands of high-quality jobs for years to come and deliver incredible opportunities for our local workforce, especially our young people.”
Chris Daykin, director of the Northern Endurance Partnership, said: “This is a landmark moment in the development of CCS infrastructure and the UK’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050. With joint backing from shareholders and the UK Government, Northern Endurance Partnership is entering its execution phase ahead of start-up expected in 2028.”
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber
