Drax has agreed a long-term contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to use its carbon capture technology in what will be the largest deployment of its kind globally.
The deal combines 海角视频 innovation with Japanese technology, and is a major step forward at the start of a chain in the huge greening up of traditional polluting sectors in the Humber region.
It builds on the switch from coal to biomass completed at the power plant this year, and will result in the power giant removing more CO2 from the atmosphere than is emitted across its operations.
This agreement will see Drax license MHI鈥檚 unique carbon capture solvent, KS-21 and the first bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) unit at Drax could be operational as soon as 2027. The company said it will support thousands of jobs, capturing and storing at least eight million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030.
Will Gardiner, Drax Group chief executive, said: 鈥淭he world urgently needs to move from making climate pledges to taking climate action. This game-changing contract between Drax and MHI could contribute to a decade of global environmental leadership from the 海角视频 and provide further stimulus to a post-Covid economic recovery.
鈥淐arbon capture technologies like BECCS are going to be absolutely vital in the fight against the climate crisis. Subject to the right regulatory framework being in place, Drax stands ready to invest further in this essential negative emissions technology, which not only permanently removes CO2 from the atmosphere but also delivers the reliable, renewable electricity needed for clean, green economic growth.鈥
Drax is the first company to sign a contract to deploy carbon capture technology at scale in the 海角视频.
As the starting point in the CCS element of the region鈥檚 Zero Carbon Humber proposal, the plan is to link via pipeline to depleted oil and gas caverns beneath the North Sea for storage, taking in a host of other emitters on the way.
It comes ahead of this weekend鈥檚 G7 leaders鈥 gathering in Cornwall and of COP26 in Glasgow in November.
As part of the agreement, MHI plans to locate its core CCS team at the company鈥檚 European headquarters in London and explore additional employment opportunities in the 海角视频 in future. MHI is also looking at ways to strengthen its supply chain, including the potential production of its proprietary solvent in the 海角视频.
Drax has already successfully trialled MHI鈥檚 carbon capture technology in a pilot that started in 2020.
Kenji Terasawa, president and chief executive of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, said: 鈥淲e are very proud to have been selected as Drax鈥檚 technology partner and we firmly believe that our carbon capture technology will make a significant contribution to the 海角视频 and wider global community achieving their net zero targets.
"We look forward to expanding our presence in the 海角视频 and developing a centre of excellence for the deployment of carbon capture technology across Europe, the Middle East and Africa region.
鈥淢HI aims to continue reducing greenhouse gases globally by providing reliable and economically feasible carbon capture technology, supported by research and development activity over 30 years and commercial records around the world.鈥
