The UK government has announced a significant £22 billion investment in carbon capture and storage projects, focusing on developing two carbon capture clusters in Merseyside and Teesside. This initiative aims to stimulate private investment and generate jobs in these industry-heavy areas.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today has committed up to £21.7bn over 25 years, to be given in subsidies to sites in the UK’s Teesside and Merseyside “clusters”, beginning from 2028. His vision is to revitalise regions affected by deindustrialisation and reinvigorate the nation’s industrial core through these future-oriented investments. He has emphasised that this move is about “reigniting our industrial heartlands” by investing in future industries.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband stated that “a new era begins,” marking the start of an industry that captures carbon emissions to provide “good jobs” while demonstrating the government’s commitment to investment in the country.
enfinium’s Ferrybridge waste-to-energy plant in West Yorkshire generates up to 85MW electricity to the National Grid and processes 725,000 tonnes of post-recycled waste per annum.
Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) is designed to address climate change by capturing carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels and heavy industry, either for reuse or underground storage.
This investment, targeting two carbon capture clusters in Merseyside and Teesside over the next 25 years, aims to create thousands of jobs, attract private investment, and assist the UK in achieving its climate objectives.
The investment will be split between three projects; capturing carbon dioxide released either from making hydrogen, generating gas power or burning waste to create energy from 2028.
enfinium is proposing to install carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology at its Ferrybridge 1 and 2 energy-from-waste facilities in Knottingley, West Yorkshire.
The UK’s huge investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) has sparked enthusiasm, but concerns persist. Critics argue that CCS may divert attention and funding from more sustainable solutions, such as renewable energy sources. There are also questions about the long-term viability of the technology, as well as the potential for “lock-in” to fossil fuel dependency. Additionally, environmentalists worry about the risks associated with storing carbon underground, including possible leaks and the impacts on local ecosystems. Balancing these concerns while pursuing climate goals remains a complex challenge.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer: “We now see the new future on our horizon, with carbon capture and carbon storage, and the largest program in this new and vital industry…”
What is carbon capture and how does it work?
Carbon capture is a process that captures carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from sources like power plants, industrial processes, or even directly from the air, preventing them from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. The CO₂ can then be stored or reused.
There are three main methods of carbon capture:
- Pre-combustion capture: This method involves capturing CO₂ before burning the fuel. Fuels such as coal, natural gas, or biomass are converted into a mixture of hydrogen and CO₂. The CO₂ is separated and captured, while the hydrogen can be used as fuel.
- Post-combustion capture: This process captures CO₂ after the fuel has been burned. It is most commonly used in existing power plants. The CO₂ is separated from the flue gases (the gases emitted from combustion) using chemical solvents like amines, which absorb the CO₂.
- Oxy-fuel combustion: In this technique, the fuel is burned in pure oxygen instead of air, producing a flue gas that is mainly water vapour and CO₂. The water vapour is easily condensed, leaving behind pure CO₂ that can be captured.
Once captured, the CO₂ is either stored underground in geological formations (such as depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifers) through a process called carbon sequestration or repurposed for use in industries like enhanced oil recovery or producing synthetic fuels.
Direct air capture (DAC) is an additional approach that captures CO₂ directly from the ambient air, although this method is less common and more energy-intensive.
How can carbon capture at waste-to-energy facilities help achieve negative emissions?
Installing carbon capture and storage technology at energy-from-waste facilities results in negative emissions, effectively removing carbon from the atmosphere. Approximately 50 per cent of unrecyclable waste (such as food scraps, plants, and paper) consists of biogenic materials that naturally absorb CO2 during their lifecycle. By capturing the CO2 emitted from these materials during waste processing and storing it permanently, CCS technology ensures that this absorbed CO2 is not re-released into the atmosphere, leading to a net reduction in overall carbon levels.
