Sian Crampsie
The UK government has awarded a total of £26 million of funding to nine projects as part of plans to accelerate the roll-out of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology.
The funding will help projects such as Tata Chemicals Europe’s proposed CCUS plant in Winnington, Cheshire, to be realised, and is a key part of the government’s Clean Growth Strategy and net-zero climate pledge.
“Carbon capture, utilisation and storage has an essential role to play in our efforts to tackle climate change, helping us to meet our ambition to end our contribution to global warming entirely by 2050, said Energy and Clean Growth Minister Chris Skidmore. “If we are to become a net zero emissions economy and end our contribution towards global warming, then innovative schemes like Tata Chemicals’ will be essential.
“Their plans demonstrate the enormous potential that CCUS has, reducing our emissions and helping companies to innovate and export products all around the world.”
Tata is to build a carbon capture and utilization facility to capture flue gases at its 96 MWe gas-fired combined heat and power plant, which supplies steam and power to the company’s Northwich operations and other local businesses. The CCU plant will then purify and liquify the gas for use in the manufacture of sodium bicarbonate.
It will be supported by £4.2 million of funding from the government.
“Implementing this industry leading project, with such strong environmental and operational benefits is hugely exciting,” said Tata Chemicals Europe MD, Martin Ashcroft. “We hope that this project will demonstrate the viability of CCU and pave the way for further applications of the technology to support the decarbonisation of industrial activity.”
Eight more projects are being awarded between £170 000 and £7 million as part of two programmes – the £20 million Carbon Capture and Utilisation programme (CCUD) and the £24 million Call for CCUS Innovation programme.
They include Drax Group, which has been awarded £500 000 for work exploring the use of molten carbonate fuel cells as a technology for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2), and Origen Power, which has been awarded £249 000 for its oxy-fuelled flash calciner project.
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