Energy giant RWE is looking to build a new gas-fired power station on the South Humber Bank.
Proposals have emerged for what would be an investment of hundreds of millions of pounds at a site in Stallingborough, creating scores of jobs. It had been revealed as the company - responsible for several offshore wind farm developments out of Grimsby and a huge new solar scheme for North Lincolnshire - joined one of the Humber’s carbon capture and storage partnerships. It will ensure clean electricity generation by piping emissions under the North Sea.
RWE will work with Harbour Energy on the Viking CCS scheme, connecting the heavy industry cluster, where refining and power generation dominate, with storage in depleted gas fields 140km off the coast, via Theddlethorpe.
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It is also investigating options to capture, transport and store CO2 generated by the existing Staythorpe combined gas turbine power station near Newark. The Nottinghamshire site would follow West Burton Energy as a partner in that county, alongside Phillips 66 and VPI at South Killingholme.
A spokesperson for the German-owned firm said: “RWE can confirm that we are at the early stages of exploring the potential for a new power station on land owned near to Stallingborough, which could deploy carbon capture utilisation and storage technology. As one of the UK’s leading electricity generators, and operators of the most efficient fleet of gas-fired power stations in the UK, we are considering CCUS as a viable solution to deliver decarbonised and reliable energy generation, to help meet the country’s long term need.
“We are considering CCUS options at sites across the UK which are close to proposed CO2 networks or have access to shipping facilities, so that the CO2 can be safely transported and stored. The potential projects are located across the UK, including at Stallingborough, and are currently in the very early stages of the planning process.
“As we explore the projects we will undertake thorough consultation with local people and stakeholders. More details on all three projects will be brought forward next year.”
It would follow the consenting of Keadby Carbon Capture Power Station earlier this month. It is being delivered by SSE Thermal and Equinor, and is part of the Zero Carbon Humber proposal. Velocys’s approved green get fuel refinery at Stallingborough is also designed to be CCS-ready.
Harbour Energy has been developing Viking CCS, formerly V Net Zero, since it acquired the infrastructure in 2019, as Chrysaor, ahead of the merger with Premier Oil Plc that led to the new name. It is targeting first capture by 2027, and a reduction of 10 million tonnes of UK emissions annually by 2030, and up to 15 million tonnes by 2035.
Executive vice president at Harbour Energy, Steve Cox, said: “The involvement of RWE, one of the UK’s largest power producers, in the Viking CCS network strengthens the UK’s global leadership in terms of the transformative power of carbon capture and storage. “We look forward to working together to make a nationally significant contribution to the UK’s CO2 emissions reduction targets, while creating and safeguarding low carbon jobs and maintaining vital but hard to decarbonise industries in the Humber and surrounding regions.”
Tom Glover, RWE UK country chair, added: “RWE recognises that the East Coast has become a hub for decarbonisation and is delighted to be working in partnership with Harbour Energy to develop generation assets which could complement the ongoing decarbonisation activities in the region. These projects ensure that we can continue to provide safe, efficient, flexible and reliable generation to power the UK whilst supporting our ongoing commitment to help Britain in its pathway to achieve net zero.”
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