Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage

In a statement to the House of Commons, the minister highlighted a historic week for the UK's energy system. Last Monday, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, which had been generating coal-fired electricity for 142 years, closed down for the last time. The minister paid tribute to the generations of coal workers who had powered the country for over a century, acknowledging the debt owed to them. The minister then outlined the government's plans to create a new generation of good jobs in the industrial heartlands as the country transitions to the next stage of its energy journey. On Friday, the government and industry had agreed deals to launch the UK's carbon capture industry, a process the minister had kickstarted back in 2009 as the previous Energy Secretary. The minister confirmed that the government has agreed £21.7 billion in funding over 25 years for five carbon capture, usage, and storage projects across two clusters: HyNet in the North-West and the East Coast Cluster in the North-East. This announcement will enable the construction of two transport and storage networks to underpin this new industry, as well as projects like the world's largest gas with CCUS plant, a new CCUS energy-from-waste facility, and the UK's first large-scale blue hydrogen project. The minister emphasized that this investment is the right thing to do for Britain, as carbon capture will unlock the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, enable the production of low-carbon hydrogen, and play a crucial role in delivering clean power alongside renewables and nuclear. The minister quoted experts from the Climate Change Committee and the International Energy Agency, who have stated that carbon capture is critical to meeting the country's climate commitments. The minister highlighted that the UK's geology, know-how, and expertise in the North Sea give it the opportunity to lead the world in deploying carbon capture at scale, creating up to 50,000 jobs by the 2030s. The minister also outlined other recent actions taken by the government, such as lifting the onshore wind ban, consenting to record amounts of nationally significant solar, launching Great British Energy, and delivering the most successful renewables auction in British history. The minister concluded by stating that last week marked the end of one chapter in the country's energy story and the start of a new era, where the UK can decarbonize and reindustrialize, creating clean energy jobs and investment in its industrial heartlands, and demonstrating climate leadership.