Press Release
Viking CO2 is awarded ‘Track 2’ status
3 minutes • 1 August 2023
The Government announced that the Viking CCS transport and storage network (T&S) has been awarded Track 2 status for its Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Cluster Sequencing Programme.
The Viking CCS T&S has the potential to store up to 10 million tonnes per year of CO₂ by 2030 and 15 million tonnes of CO₂ per year by 2035. This is a very encouraging outcome for the decarbonisation of the Humber region - the UK's most industrialised area - and the unlocking of up to £7bn in investment across the full CO2 capture, transport and storage value chain between 2025 and 2035.
The timely development and execution of the Track 1 and Track 2 CCUS programmes will help achieve the 20 million tonnes per year of CO2 that need to be captured to hit the Government's minimum stated target by 2030. The Humber region is currently the largest emitting industrial cluster in the UK, generating 12.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually from power generation and strategically located heavy industry. This is 30 per cent more than the next largest cluster in the UK. The Viking CCS Track 2 award is a significant milestone in achieving the UK's near term climate ambitions, but it is now vital that its associated emitters continue to move quickly to tackle the CO2 storage gap.
VPI's Immingham Combined Heat and Power plant (VPI Immingham), is a large emitter which provides energy security as well essential electricity and heat to neighbouring refineries, notably Phillips 66, which plays a significant role in both the UK economy and low carbon value chain.
3.3 million tonnes of CO2, per year that would otherwise have been emitted
As "Humber Zero" anchor projects, Immingham CHP and Phillips 66 will connect to the Viking CO2 storage network to remove up to 8 million tonnes annually of CO2 at source. Emissions will be safely stored under the North Sea. VPI expects that by 2027 up to 3.3 million tonnes per year of CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted from Immingham will be captured, compressed and safely transported underground.
"Today's announcement signals strong support from the Government on which clusters it believes are best positioned to deliver this technology and help decarbonise UK industry and our energy system."
Jorge Pikunic
CEO at VPI
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an essential technology for the UK to achieve its net zero goals, with the UK Climate Change Committee recently noting that there is no route to net zero in 2050 without deploying CCS at scale.
The VPI Immingham project has progressed at pace, recently completing FEED, and is well positioned to connect to the Viking CCS T&S network, putting into place carbon capture technology that could be deployed to other important industrial clusters across the UK and contributing £1.4bn to the £4bn that Viking will add to the Humber region by 2035. Following today's announcement, clarity and increased tempo is required for key carbon capture projects (or 'emitters'), including VPI Immingham, and we look forward to the Government providing more detail on the Track 2 emitter selection process.
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