UK shortlists 20 projects for CCUS clusters

THE UK Government has shortlisted 20 projects for the next phase of its carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) cluster process.

The Government says that CCUS is a key technology for the country’s net zero transformation. As part of its ten-point plan, it is committed to deploying two CCUS clusters by the mid-2020s (Track 1), and a further two by 2030 (Track 2). Last year, the Government selected the HyNet and East Coast Clusters for Track 1 development.

The shortlisted projects will now be considered for Government funding support to join a Track 1 cluster. They include power CCUS, industrial carbon capture, and hydrogen projects.

Among the chosen projects is Net Zero Teesside (NZT) Power, part of the wider NZT project. According to NZT collaborators, it is expected to be the world’s first commercial scale gas-fired power station with carbon capture. NZT Power will have a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) generating station with electrical output of up to 860 MW. From the power plant alone, the proposed carbon transport and storage infrastructure will be able to capture up to 2m t/y of CO2.

Another shortlisted project is Humber Zero, a decarbonisation project with the potential to capture up to 8m t/y of CO2 by 2030. It is part of efforts to decarbonise the Humber region, which is home to an array of heavy industries including refining and chemicals.

BP’s H2Teesside, which aims for 1 GW/y of hydrogen production by 2030, will also enter the next phase of the cluster process. Along with BP’s HyGreen project, H2Teesside is expected to help meet 15% of the UK’s target to install 10 GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030.

The UK’s CCUS clusters will support the Government’s ambition to decarbonise industry and put the country at the forefront of the growing carbon capture market. Track 1 clusters will be the first to be considered for support under the Government’s CCUS Programme, which includes the £1bn (US$1.2bn) CCS Infrastructure Fund.