Side-alternativer

Back to Projects database

North East CCS transport network

Brief description:

North East CCS transport network: Read more; Capture Method:

Capture Technology:

Capital cost:
Financial support:
finsup
--> Volume:
tonnes; 53.703525 -0.871465

Facts:

Country: United Kingdom

Project type: Storage Transport

Scale: Large

Status: Identified

Year of operation uncertain

New or retrofit: New

Transport of CO2 by: Pipeline

Type of storage: EOR

Killingholme power station

CO2Sense is working with industry, investors and government to develop plans for a large-scale CO2 transport network - or CCS cluster - in the Yorkshire and Humber region of the UK. The region currently produces around 90 million tonnes of CO2 annually, mainly from industrial or power generation sources. But it is also well placed for access to depleting reservoirs below the southern North Sea.

The network could capture at least 90% of the CO2 produced by the region's conventional power stations and heavy industry, for storage in depleted gas fields and saline formations under the southern North Sea. There is also potential to use captured CO2 in EOR projects in the central and northern fields of the North Sea. CO2Sense believes a CCS cluster in the region could reduce the UK’s total current CO2 emissions by around 10%.

CO2Sense is a wholly-owned company of Yorkshire Forward (a regional development agency), which outlined its vision for a shared CCS network in 2008 in its report, A Carbon Capture and Storage Network for Yorkshire and Humber. The initiative aims to give industry the confidence and incentive to invest in large-scale CO2 capture technology, knowing that transport and storage infrastructure will be available.

The development would be able to make use of existing pipelines to complement any new infrastructure needed. Yorkshire Forward's study also showed that, with support from public and private agencies, it is more cost effective for each emitter to tap into a shared network rather than develop a stand-alone solution.

Progress

In November 2011, National Grid unveiled its preferred route for the pipeline that will carry CO2 from the Don Valley Power Project in West Yorkshire to suitable potential storage sites in the North Sea. View the route here.

In March 2012, the UK government announced its new CCS competition would 'encourage polluting industries to collaborate through the use of shared pipelines', boosting hopes that the NE CCS transport network would have a good chance of receiving funding. The competition launch was still awaited.

Funding

Of the seven CCS projects forwarded to the EU's NER300 fund in May 2011 by the UK government, four are sited in the Yorkshire and Humber region - namely, Don Valley, Killingholme, Progressive Energy's Eston Grange and Drax power plant. All would be potential users of a shared CO2 transport and storage network. National Grid Carbon is working with the project developers to analyse transport and storage opportunities, while CO2Sense is exploring the feasibility of a shared transport network.

The projects are also hoping to win funding from the UK government's phase two national CCS competition, which will provide grants for three CCS projects. Initial consultation began in June 2011.

Timing

It is estimated that the use of CCS by large emitters in the region, and the development of the transport and storage network, will develop in stages over the next 15-20 years and as confidence in the technology grows and the regulatory framework becomes clearer.