VIDEO: Energy firm urges Government to back £1.5bn carbon capture plan for Humber
Energy firm VPI is calling for urgent government backing to move ahead with a £1.5bn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the Humber, one of the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial clusters.
The company, which powers two major oil refineries and can supply electricity to one million homes via its Immingham plant, wants to retrofit the site with CCS technology.
The project aims to trap carbon emissions before they reach the atmosphere, instead diverting them through new and existing pipelines for permanent storage beneath the North Sea.
VPI says the project would create 1,500 jobs at peak construction and support high-value, long-term roles.
It also forms part of the wider Viking CCS project, expected to generate 20,000 jobs and unlock major carbon import potential through the nearby port.
To get the project moving, VPI is asking the government – via the Comprehensive Spending Review – to confirm it as the anchor emitter for Viking CCS.
This, it says, would help decarbonise a hard-to-abate sector while delivering strong economic returns.
Jorge Pikunic, chief executive of VPI said: “Carbon capture and storage provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn the Humber into a powerhouse of the future. If missed, it may not come again. For the last five years, public officials have worked tirelessly with industry to set in motion the development of Viking CCS, a unique carbon capture and storage network, here in the Humber.”
Retrofitting the existing Immingham site is more cost-effective than building a new CCS-equipped power station, and could help clean up local emissions while opening the door for other heavy emitters to join the network.
The Viking CCS setup requires just a 50km onshore pipeline, with offshore infrastructure and depleted gas fields already in place.
With proximity to the UK’s largest port, the government estimates up to £30bn in taxable revenue could be generated by 2050 through carbon imports.
Jason Stockwood, Labour’s mayoral candidate for Greater Lincolnshire, visited VPI last week.
He said: “I will be speaking directly with the government to press for urgent backing of the VPI and Viking CCS project. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure thousands of skilled jobs, decarbonise heavy industry and put Greater Lincolnshire at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy future. I fully support this investment and will do everything I can to help make it a reality.”
