Carbon capture specialist reaches deal with West Burton power station
Viking CCS has agreed a partnership with independent power group West Burton Energy to capture, transport and permanently store emissions from the group’s Nottinghamshire-based power station.
The carbon capture and storage specialist, which is overseen by North Sea oil and gas giant Harbour Energy, is aiming to boost the range of projects in its network.
It will take on its new role at West Burton B power station, a gas turbine plant with a combined output of 1.33GW of energy, including 49MW of battery storage capacity.
The plant also offers stability services for the national electricity grid, with one of its coal terminals remaining operational over
Viking CCS is pushing to become a global leader in carbon capture and storage (CCS) to help meet the Government’s net zero targets.
It is targeting a reduction of 10m tonnes of UK emissions per annum by 2030, with first capture planned for as early as 2027.
The project will also play a key role in solving the issue of stranded emissions from UK businesses and industrial clusters through the development of an extended pipeline-based network.
This will link key emitters to Viking CCS’s transport and storage network.
Harbour Energy and West Burton Energy have recently begun developing the engineering design to connect West Burton B to the high-capacity Viking CCS storage sites located deep beneath the Southern North Sea.
West Burton Energy is, currently evaluating post-combustion carbon capture technology to capture up to 90 per cent of its carbon emissions as part of its wider decarbonisation strategy for the site.
This strategy will also include the deployment of hydrogen co-firing and the development and construction of further electricity storage facilities.
Steve Cox, head of global services for Harbour Energy, said: “West Burton Energy’s decision to join the Viking CCS cluster marks a significant step forward in the project’s aim to reduce the UK’s industrial emissions. It extends our geographic footprint further beyond the Humber region to inland emitters in Nottinghamshire, helping to decarbonise the UK’s extended power network and meet the UK’s net zero goals.”
Chris Elder, chief executive of West Burton Energy, added: “This project will ensure that we can continueto provide safe, efficient, flexible and reliable generation to power the UK whilst supporting our ongoing commitment to help Britain in its pathway to achieve net zero.”
Previously known as V Net Zero, Viking CCS is looking to operate off the Humber region, the UK’s most industrialised region and largest emitter of CO2.
Expected to be operational from 2027, Viking CCS will reuse existing pipelines and utilise decommissioned gas fields in the Southern North Sea to provide UK industries with a competitive option for the transport, storage and sequestration of emissions.
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