Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con):...We must recognise the
support the Government have already placed behind this emerging
sector, with a significant programme to support four industrial
clusters. However, we should also recognise the guidance from the
Committee on Climate Change, which calls for more ambition and the
need to support as many potential CCUS industrial clusters as
possible, whether that is in the Acorn project in Scotland or
projects in Teesside, Humberside or the...Request free trial
(Rother Valley) (Con):...We must recognise the
support the Government have already placed behind this emerging
sector, with a significant programme to support four industrial
clusters. However, we should also recognise the guidance from the
Committee on Climate Change, which calls for more ambition and the
need to support as many potential CCUS industrial clusters as
possible, whether that is in the Acorn project in Scotland or
projects in Teesside, Humberside or the north-west. These clusters
are blessed with some of the best sub-surface geology to support
permanent carbon dioxide storage. The projects are relatively
simple to understand, whether they are reforming hydrogen from
natural gas coming onshore and then pumping the CO2 captured back
into depleted reservoirs, or perhaps CCUS-enabled power stations,
such as the innovative net zero Whitetail clean energy NET power
station planned for Teesside...
...The Scottish cluster is a superb example, with the
Acorn project one of the most
mature UK CCUS and hydrogen projects, with the backing of both the
UK and Scottish Governments and even, dare I say it, the European
Union. It will enable carbon capture deployment across a diverse
set of emitters, capturing at least 6.2 megatonnes per annum of
carbon dioxide by 2030. That represents around 60% of the ambition
set out in the Government’s great 10-point plan and is a vital part
of it. To make that a reality, emitters from across the UK are
seeking to make use of that national resource, along with storage
locations along the east coast and the north west. The UK’s port
network needs to stand ready to respond to that demand and needs to
invest in the significant infrastructure required to create a UK
port network capable of handling large volumes of CO2 and hydrogen
shipping. Shipyards from Appledore to the Clyde will also need to
mobilise to build the shipping tonnage needed to support this
nascent industry...
...That port infrastructure and the shipping industry can also play
a central role in supporting other areas of the UK to reduce
emissions. The south Wales industrial cluster is the second largest
CO2 emitting cluster in the UK. It contains several key UK assets,
including the UK’s largest steelworks, where my father-in-law used
to work, and the UK’s largest combined-cycle gas turbine, the UK’s
largest energy port, the UK’s only nickel refinery and the Royal
Mint, as well as several key and core manufacturing industries.
Around 20% to 30% of the UK’s natural gas supply is imported into
the UK through south Wales. With steel, cement, chemicals, refining
and natural gas supplies all present in the region, CCUS will be
essential for delivering net zero in south Wales. However, south
Wales does not have any known local geological storage of CO2
available, which means the development of a CO2 shipping fleet
would be essential for its decarbonisation. The south Wales
industrial cluster includes several deep-water harbours and ports
that could accommodate CO2 shipping, and with the right investment,
can develop a shipping network that can effectively ship and store
CO2 from this cluster at the Acorn project and other sites....
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