The UK remains well placed to take a lead in carbon capture and storage (CCS) commercialisation following the awarding in December of government funding for a front end engineering design (FEED) study for the White Rose CCS Project, at Drax power station, according to the UK CCS Research Centre (UKCCSRC). Government funding commitments for CCS capitalise on both the UK’s strong research and development base on CCS, and on its geological capacity for storing carbon dioxide, says the Centre.
Supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the two-year FEED study will include the planned development of a carbon dioxide transportation and storage solution – the Yorkshire-Humber CCS Trunkline – as well as the proposed new power plant. The study aims to de-risk aspects of the project before a final investment decision is made on the construction of the £2bn clean coal power plant with full CCS.
Located on land adjacent to the existing Drax Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire, the proposed 426 MW power plant will burn coal, with the option to co-fire biomass. Some 90% of the carbon dioxide produced would be captured and piped to permanent storage beneath the North Sea.
Previously, the government announced plans to complete feasibility works and identify options to take forward an industrial CCS network through the £10mn Tees Valley City Deal.
The Director of UKCCSRC, Professor Jon Gibbins, said: ‘CCS is imperative for the UK to reach our emission targets. The UK has one of the strongest CCS research communities and the UKCCSRC looks forward to working with these projects both on technical issues and in supplying the highly-skilled scientists and engineers needed to take forward CCS commercialisation.’
The UKCCSRC coordinates a programme of underpinning research on all aspects of CCS in support of both basic science and government efforts on energy and climate change.
