Clean Coal Technologies

East Coast Cluster selected as one of UK’s first CCUS projects
East Coast Cluster selected as one of UK’s first CCUS projects

Power Engineering International

The UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has named the East Coast Cluster (ECC) as a ‘Track-1’ cluster, putting it on course for deployment by the mid-2020s.

The Cluster is a huge carbon capture and storage proposal located on the East coast of the UK in the North Sea and is a collaboration between Northern Endurance Partnership, Net Zero Teesside and Zero Carbon Humber.

The announcement is a major step forward in establishing the first net zero-carbon industrial cluster in the UK by 2040.

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Grete Tveit, Senior Vice President for Low Carbon Solutions at Equinor, which is a partner of Zero Carbon Humber, Net Zero Teesside and Northern Endurance Partnership said: “We’re delighted that the East Coast Cluster has reached this milestone.

“As we mark and celebrate this major step, we look forward to continuing working closely with our partners, local communities, businesses, industry, and academia to deliver this ambitious and world-leading project that will play a major role in levelling up across the country”.

The East Coast Cluster will be vital for supporting low-carbon industry and power projects across the region. Once operational, the cluster has the potential to transport and securely store nearly 50% of all UK industrial cluster CO2 emissions – up to 27 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year by 2030.

The project aims to create and support an average of 25,000 jobs per year between 2023 and 2050, with approximately 41,000 jobs at the project’s peak in 2026.

Louise Kingham, Senior Vice President, Europe & Head of Country, UK at bp said: “The East Coast Cluster can play a critical role in the UK Government’s levelling up ambition, supporting thousands of jobs and investing in local communities. Teesside and the Humber were once the industrial heart of the UK.

“Today’s announcement paves the way for them to become the green heart of the country’s energy transition, shepherding in the next generation of industry and ways of working.”