A fourth power station is being planned for a Humber cluster with SSE Thermal and Equinor uniting to bring forward the world’s first major hydrogen fuelled generator.
The two energy giants will develop that and the already announced Keadby Three, in a concentrated zone west of Scunthorpe - with carbon capture technology to be deployed. It is a central part of the region-wide Net Zero ambition.
It has been welcomed at the top of government, with those behind the proposals saying the previously revealed 900MW Keadby Three plant could deliver 15 per cent of the 海角视频’s target of 10 million tonnes of carbon capture from gas-fired generation, while a new neighbour would account for a third of the 5GW goal for hydrogen production.
Thousands of skilled green jobs in construction would be followed by hundreds in operation and maintenance, with flexible and efficient power seen as vital to support intermittent renewable generation and maintain the security of supply for three million homes.
Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: “The Humber region is at the heart of our commitment to tackle climate change and is already on the frontline of developing vital clean technologies which will change the way people’s homes and businesses are powered while slashing emissions.
“This new partnership will ensure that world-first technology is being developed in Scunthorpe and across the Humber, creating green jobs and bringing new investment which will benefit local communities and businesses – revitalising this industrial heartland as the 海角视频 builds back greener.”
A formal consultation for Keadby Three closed earlier this year and it is progressing towards a development consent application. It has the potential to come online by 2027, in line with Government ambitions for ‘track one’ industrial cluster projects.
Keadby Hydrogen power station would have a peak demand of 1,800MW of hydrogen, generating around 900MW of electricity with zero emissions. It could come online before the end of the decade.
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It comes with the gas-fired Keadby Two currently in construction. As part of the agreement, the pair are developing options for hydrogen blending to progressively decarbonise what will become the 海角视频’s most-efficient power station.
“With over 12 million tonnes of annual carbon emissions, ideal transport and storage options, and major energy and industrial companies working together, the Humber has to be at the centre of the 海角视频’s decarbonisation strategy.”
Final investment decisions will depend on work done in Westminster. Both are already partners in Zero Carbon Humber, the huge hydrogen and CO2 pipeline proposal that links Keadby to Drax in the west and Saltend and Easington - onwards to sub-North Sea storage - in the east.
Stephen Wheeler, managing director of SSE Thermal, said: “These projects would play a major role in decarbonising the 海角视频’s flexible generation capacity, while supporting a green economic recovery in the Humber. By utilising cutting-edge carbon capture and hydrogen solutions, we can decarbonise power generation, heavy industry and hard-to-reach sectors of the economy, which will be essential in both achieving net zero emissions and ensuring a just transition for workers and communities.
Grete Tveit, senior vice president for low carbon solutions at Equinor, said: “These world-leading power plants at Keadby will accelerate efforts across the Humber to create a decarbonised industrial cluster, and contribute to the 海角视频’s goals for a green industrial revolution and reaching net zero. They are a further step in Equinor’s ambitions for the Humber, following on from our H2H Saltend project that will start producing low-carbon hydrogen at scale by the mid-2020s.”
SSE and Equinor intend to collaborate on projects elsewhere in the 海角视频, with the agreement building on a long-standing partnership that includes joint ownership of the Aldbrough Gas Storage facility in East Yorkshire, and the joint venture to build Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.
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The developments fall in the Brigg and Goole constituency of MP Andrew Percy. He said: “This announcement shows SSE Thermal’s continued commitment to the area and this newly formed partnership with Equinor could see world-first technology brought to our region in the coming years, putting North Lincolnshire at the heart of the 海角视频’s net zero transition.
“Climate change is a topic that is rightly at the top of the agenda and there is much we can do in the Humber to play our part in tackling it. Large-scale development and investment of this kind will bring both local employment and supply chain value, and I am committed to working closely with both SSE Thermal and Equinor to ensure these opportunities are realised for the region.”