The Government has pledged to help remove over 12 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year from 2028 – the equivalent of taking six million cars off the road with two “carbon capture clusters” in the North of England
One will be on Merseyside and the other on Teesside
HyNet will be the UK’s first site to produce blue hydrogen at scale – crucial for the UK’s energy security. It will also host an innovative Energy from Waste facility, harnessing CCUS technology to decarbonise this sector.
Around 2,000 new jobs will be created in the region – with up to 50,000 jobs expected across the CCUS sector by 2050.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband are visiting the North West today to confirm the funding for two sites in Teesside and Merseyside, which are expected to bring in £8 billion of private investment into these communities.
These projects will set the UK on course to become a global leader in CCUS and hydrogen – delivering good jobs and turbocharged growth for decades to come.
Sir Keir Starmer said:
“We’re reigniting our industrial heartlands by investing in the industry of the future.
“For the past 14 years, business has been second-guessing a dysfunctional government – which has set us back and caused an economic slump.
“Today’s announcement will give industry the certainty it needs – committing to 25 years of funding in this groundbreaking technology – to help deliver jobs, kickstart growth, and repair this country once and for all.”
Today’s announcement confirms up to £21.7 billion of funding available, over 25 years, to make the UK an early leader in two growing global sectors, CCUS and hydrogen, to be allocated between these two clusters. The UK’s commitment was first made in 2009, and the confirmation of funding today represents a major success story for British industry.
In the week in which Britain became the first industrialised nation to end its 150-year usage of coal to produce power, the nation now begins a new era of clean energy technology. The UK has enough capacity to store 200 years’ worth of emissions – making CCUS a revolutionary method in tackling the climate crisis and helping industry to decarbonise.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
“On Monday, 150 years of coal in this country came to an end. Today, a new era begins.
“By securing this investment, we pave the way for securing the clean energy revolution that will rebuild Britain’s industrial heartlands.
“I was proud to kickstart the industry in 2009, and I am even prouder today to turn it into reality. This funding is a testament to the power of an active Government working in partnership with businesses to deliver good jobs for our communities.”
