Funding has been confirmed by the government for the third and fourth carbon capture usage and storage clusters (CCUS) - the Acorn project in North East Scotland, and the Viking Project in the Humber.
These two carbon capture storage (CCS) projects will establish two new clusters through the UK government's Track-2 process.
CCUS is essential to the government meeting their net-zero ambition, and consequently the government aimed to deploy two CCUS by mid 2020's and four by 2030, with the aim of capturing and storing 20-30 MtCO2 per year by 2030.
The CCS Infrastructure Fund set up by the government has provided £1 billion to the CCS industry to help deploy CCUS at the pace and scale needed to achieve the 2030 target.
Track-1 clusters were established in the North West of England - Hynet cluster, and the North East - East Coast. These Track-1 clusters are likely to be expanded into the Humber later this year.
The government selected the Acorn and Viking projects for Track-2 following a review of application against their eligibility criteria, and concluded that these two projects were best placed to deliver the UK's objectives for Track-2, due to both projects maturity. Both CCUS for Track-2 are expected to be up and running by 2030.
This news has been welcomed by the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), with their Chief Executive, Ruth Herbert, praising the potential of the clusters to collectively reduce emissions by up to 19 million tonnes.
