A crucial power provider at the heart of the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial cluster in the Humber is calling for decisive action to secure a once-in-a-generation opportunity to future-proof the region’s heavy industry. VPI, the company responsible for the Humber’s two major oil refineries’ electricity and steam generation, has an investment-ready proposal for a £1.5 billion carbon capture project that will take polluting gases out of the equation before they hit the atmosphere. These gases will be redirected down new and repurposed pipelines for permanent storage under the North Sea. The project promises to create 1,500 jobs at peak construction with many more permanent high-value positions to follow. An additional 20,000 jobs could emerge from the wider Viking CCS build-out, creating a significant import opportunity. VPI is hoping for a clear signal from the government in the Comprehensive Spending Review that it will be the anchor emitter for the Viking CCS project, a project that promises significant impact in cleaning up a challenging-to-abate industry. Jorge Pikunic, VPI’s chief executive, sees carbon capture and storage as a unique opportunity to transform the Humber into a future powerhouse. The project’s progression would demonstrate how strategic, mission-driven government can successfully transition an industrial hub into a future powerhouse in a prudent, value-for-money driven, just and meaningful way. VPI is awaiting approval to be one of the first emitter projects for the Viking CCS network, with the potential for private capital investment to retrofit its power plant with carbon capture technology this parliamentary term.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
