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technically, strengthening the case that the cluster is ready to move from development to delivery.
Unlike many emitter projects still working through early-stage development, Humber Zero has already cleared several of the biggest hurdles. For example, VPI has secured planning permission and holds an environmental permit, which typically takes one-to-two years to obtain from the Environment Agency. The UK Government has also recognized the project as a viable start-up emitter for the Viking cluster. Reaching this point has required a multi-year, multi-million-pound investment by VPI. As a result of that investment, policy support can be translated more quickly into private investment, jobs, and construction activity- an important distinction when government is making difficult choices about how best to support regional growth.
VPI’ s ambition is to reach Final Investment Decision within this Parliament, in line with the Viking CCS delivery schedule. This would enable construction to begin and the plant to be operational by 2031, following a three-tofour-year build program. Humber Zero will use Shell Cansolv technology, which has already been deployed elsewhere, and VPI is working with experienced CCS engineering partners, including Technip, helping to reduce delivery risk and accelerate deployment.
Value for money
Humber Zero is also a strong value-for-money proposition. Rather than building new power generating infrastructure from scratch, VPI would retrofit carbon capture technology onto its existing Immingham site, reducing costs by around a third. The project also benefits from infrastructure that is already in place, including one of the hardest things to secure in energy today: grid connections.
Its location is another advantage: there is land for the carbon capture plant immediately next door, and a direct connection to the Viking pipeline being developed on the same site. Much of the pipeline route to the North Sea store already exists. Together, those factors make Humber Zero and Viking CCS a lower-cost, lower-risk route to developing a CCS cluster.
Kickstarting a bigger opportunity
Humber Zero is the starting point, not the full opportunity. Once the first emissions are flowing into Viking CCS, the network can begin to serve other industrial sites. Already located near a high concentration of existing industry, the transport and storage network also has direct access to ABP’ s Port of Immingham, the UK’ s largest port by tonnage, and large-scale UK CO 2 storage in the North Sea. That presents a powerful case for having the potential to attract more emitters, bring in more investment, and create a carbon sequestration service that supports GDP growth.
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