Drax Group (Drax) has agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Viking CCS, the Humber-based CO2 transportation and storage network led by Harbour Energy, together with non-operated partner bp, to assess options to transport and store CO2 in the Humber region.
The MoU will see the companies work together on an early pipeline study to explore options that could connect Drax Power Station to the depleted Viking gas fields in the southern North Sea.
Once operational, and subject to final investment decision, the Viking CCS cluster could capture and store up to 10 million tonnes of UK emissions per annum by 2030 and up to 15 million tonnes by 2035.
Richard Gwilliam, UK BECCS Programme Director at Drax, said:
“Viking CCS has a compelling vision for delivering the decarbonisation of the Humber. Their plans could facilitate significant investment into the region, create thousands of new highly skilled green jobs and ensure that the Humber continues to play an important long-term role in supporting the UK’s energy security.
“We are excited about working with Viking CCS through this new MoU which will explore how BECCS at Drax Power Station could connect to their pipeline. BECCS is currently the only credible large-scale technology that can generate renewable power and deliver carbon removals.
“When operational, a BECCS unit at Drax Power Station could remove four million tonnes of CO2 each year which is 80% of the UK Government’s ambition of delivering five million tonnes of engineered greenhouse gas removals by 2030. We believe the technology will play a substantial role in combating climate change, reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions and meeting its Net Zero goals.”
Graeme Davies, Viking CCS Project Director at Harbour Energy, said:
“The Humber is unique in the UK as the largest emitter of CO2 from existing industry and power generation and Viking CCS has the potential to put the Humber at the heart of the UK’s net zero economy, protecting and creating thousands of jobs, providing billions of pounds of investment across the full capture, transport and storage chain.
“We look forward to exploring the potential for the Drax BECCS plant to connect to Viking CCS in the future.”
ENDS
About Drax
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.
Drax’s c.3,500 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information visit www.drax.com
About Viking CCS
Led by Harbour Energy and with non-operated partner bp, Viking CCS is planning to develop the infrastructure to transport and store CO2 in secure offshore storage sites. Working with a wide range of emissions capture and infrastructure members, the project will create a CO2 capture, transportation and storage network targeting a reduction of 10 million tonnes of UK emissions per annum by 2030 and up to 15 million tonnes by 2035.
Located in the Humber, the UK’s most industrialised region and largest emitter of CO2, the project is central to establishing a world leading CCS industry in the UK and meeting the Government’s net zero emissions targets. Viking CCS will also reuse existing pipelines and utilise decommissioned gas fields in the Southern North Sea to provide UK industries with a competitive option for the transport and storage of their CO2 emissions.
For more information, please visit our website www.vikingccs.co.uk.
About Harbour Energy
Harbour Energy is the largest independent UK oil and gas producer. We have a leading position in the UK as well as interests in Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, and Norway.
Our strategy is to continue to build a global, diversified oil and gas company focused on safe and responsible operations, value creation and shareholder returns.
Across our operations we are committed to achieving our goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 with respect to our scope 1 and scope 2 emissions.
In addition, we are well positioned to use our existing skills and infrastructure to help deliver the UK’s CCS goals and more broadly the country’s emissions reduction targets.
About bp
bp intends to invest up to £18 billion in the UK’s energy system by the end of 2030, demonstrating bp’s firm commitment to the UK, and helping the country to deliver on its bold ambitions to boost energy security and reach net zero. As one of the largest oil and gas producers in the UK, bp intends to continue investing in North Sea oil and gas, while driving down operational emissions. bp is also in action on a range of lower carbon energy investments in the UK, which are expected to bring jobs and develop new skills and capabilities.
