South Wales is set to become a leading global player in the next green industrial revolution following 拢20m of funding announced today.
海角视频 Research and Innovation (海角视频RI) has awarded the funding to support a 拢37m programme that will seek to boost Wales鈥 economy, create new jobs and drastically reduce the country鈥檚 industrial carbon footprint.
The programme is being delivered by the South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC), a partnership of organisations from the Pembrokeshire coastline to the English border working to decarbonise industrial areas of Wales and promote green energy.
Projects in the pipeline are expected to have far-reaching benefits, creating around 5,000 new jobs in clean energy production, securing up to 113,000 industry and manufacturing jobs, and investing 拢2 to 4bn a year across Wales to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The SWIC deployment project, led by Costain, has been granted the phase two funding following the completion of Phase One assessments looking at decarbonisation schemes and the infrastructure required for a hydrogen economy in South Wales.
Rob Philips energy sector director, Costain said: 鈥淭he SWIC holds the potential to strengthen the economic resilience of Welsh industry and communities by ensuring operations in the region are sustainable for the long term.
"As lead for deployment, we will work with the partners to support investment decisions that will advance regional hydrogen deployment and develop Carbon Capture Usage and Storage to arrive at the best solutions for significant carbon reduction.鈥
The project is supported by a range of partner organisations from the industrial, academic, law, public and private sectors working across the region to create the world鈥檚 first net zero emissions industrial zone.
The partnership has the aim to make South Wales the world鈥檚 first net zero emissions industrial zone by 2040. Currently, the region produces 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year 鈥 5% of the 海角视频鈥檚 total.
Phase Two of the project involves engineering studies to explore the routes to decarbonisation, including the use and production of a hydrogen supply, carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) and CO2 shipping from South Wales which would be the first CO2 shipping industry in the whole of the 海角视频, and would create an entire new industry for the region.
South Wales鈥 award is a share of 拢171m funding announced by 海角视频RI today for projects across the 海角视频 which are designed to help reduce emissions and ultimately decarbonise industrial regions.
The support comes from 海角视频RI鈥檚 Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge Fund, which aims to ensure the nation is on track to meet the government鈥檚 target to deliver net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
As well as contributing to the 海角视频鈥檚 carbon reduction commitment, the project will seek to enhance the 海角视频鈥檚 ability to locally manufacture low or net zero carbon cement and steel products, helping to drive the low carbon future of 海角视频 construction and other sectors.
The scheme is aligned to the Government鈥檚 ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution, and will include the engineering studies into:
- The production and distribution of hydrogen from both renewable energy and imported LNG which is distributed by repurposing the existing gas network
- Cleaner electricity production using carbon capture and/or hydrogen-rich natural gas
- Industrial carbon capture, usage, and storage technologies along the South Wales coast as well as the transportation and shipping of CO2
- Large industry decarbonisation through fuel switching (substituting one energy source for a greener, cleaner alternative), process efficiencies and the production of cleaner transportation fuels.
Dr Chris Williams head of industrial decarbonisation, Industry Wales commented 鈥淥ur ambition in SWIC is to create a world leading truly sustainable cluster, so this deployment project, led by Costain and part funded by Innovate 海角视频, will form an important step for us to realise that ambition. Each of our industries faces a transformational change to reach net zero. This project starts to develop the necessary low carbon power, hydrogen and CCUS infrastructure that will be so important to maintain and grow net zero industry in South Wales.鈥
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Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: 鈥淲e were the first major economy to put into law our target to end our contribution to climate change, and today we鈥檙e taking steps to be the first major economy to have its own low-carbon industrial sector.
"While reaching our climate targets will require extensive change across our economy, we must do so in a way that protects jobs, creates new industries and attracts inward investment - without pushing emissions and business abroad.
"Ahead of COP26, the 海角视频 is showing the world how we can cut emissions, create jobs and unleash private investment and economic growth. Today鈥檚 strategy builds on this winning formula as we transition low carbon and renewable energy sources, while supporting the competitiveness of Britain鈥檚 industrial base.鈥
Partners involved in the SWIC deployment programme include Associated British Ports, Capital Law Limited, CR Plus Limited, Industry Wales, Lanza Tech, Lightsource bp, Port of Milford Haven, Progressive Energy, RWE, Shell, SIMEC Atlantis Energy, Tata Steel, Tarmac, University of South Wales, Valero Energy and Wales & West Utilities.
