Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce has called for the urgent realisation of the full carbon capture opportunity presented on the energy estuary.
The business organisation has been a leading voice in the push for the pan-regional plans for the vital Net Zero enabling technology for heavy industry.
When the dual pipeline proposal Zero Carbon Humber emerged, chief executive Dr Ian Kelly was an early signatory, with the ambition stretching from Drax in the west to Easington on the North Sea coast – via Keadby, Scunthorpe and North Killingholme.
Read more:Solar 21 plots financial recovery after East Yorkshire waste to energy plant is canned
This past week has seen a more cluster-concentrated scheme, Viking, receive Track Two status, providing the project focused on the Immingham power, refining and sea-borne import potential with vital government engagement to take it through to final investment decision.
The Harbour Energy scheme links Phillips 66, VPI and others to the depleted gas fields off the Lincolnshire coast, providing 10 million tonnes of CO2 storage from 2030, with more to follow.
David Hooper, left, wrote to Energy Secretary Grant Shapps over the Humber’s Track One status omission. (Image: Reach Plc / PA) David Hooper, Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce’s external affairs director, said: “The Chamber welcomes the Government announcement that the Harbour Energy project has been awarded Track Two status – it’s a step in the right direction, but we now want to see all the Humber schemes given the green light for Track Two.
“In April, the Chamber wrote a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Energy, Grant Shapps, alongside local council leaders, expressing strong concern over the omission of the Humber in the Government’s bio-energy with carbon capture and storage announcements.
“There was concern, and frankly amazement, that the Humber was largely overlooked putting at risk the £15-billion of investment which was planned for the Humber’s carbon zero agenda amid fears that money might be spent elsewhere, leaving the Humber – which should be leading the world on the carbon capture and storage agenda – completely adrift.
“The Chamber’s view continues to be that the UK should go green through the Humber, and the country cannot go green without the Humber!”
Zero Carbon Humber, as part of the East Coast Cluster with Teesside, is looking at Track One expansion opportunity, with Equinor set to feed in the hydrogen from Saltend.
Story Saved
You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.