Major carbon capture projects awarded funding

Carbon capture projects, which captures emissions from power stations and carbon heavy industries, have been awarded government funding.

These projects will help the UK meet its target of ending its contribution to global warming.

Nine companies have been awarded a share of £26 million of government funding, in addition to industry backing, to advance the rollout of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) in the UK.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Chris Skidmore is visiting Tata Chemicals Europe’s plant in Winnington, Cheshire today, 27 June. The plant, which is the UK’s only manufacturer of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, is being awarded £4.2 million toward the construction of a facility to capture and utilise 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of 22,000 cars.

When fully operational in 2021 it will be the largest carbon capture plant in the UK, removing 100 times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the country’s current largest facility.

Eight more projects have been awarded funding as part of two programmes – the £20 million Carbon Capture and Utilisation programme (CCUD) and the £24 million Call for CCUS Innovation programme.

Carbon capture and storage is a potentially vital technology which captures carbon from power stations and carbon heavy industries such as cement, chemicals, steel, and oil refining. Then, before it even enters the air, it can either be used for industrial purposes like manufacturing concrete or can be stored safely underground.

The full list of projects which have secured funding can be found here.