Shell Catalysts & Technologies to Provide CANSOLV CO2 Carbon Capture Technology at VPI Immingham

Shell Catalysts & Technologies has been appointed to provide the technology that will capture millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the VPI Immingham combined heat and power station (CHP) as part of Humber Zero.

Humber Zero is a government-supported multi-billion-pound project to decarbonise vital industry in the Immingham industrial area in northern Lincolnshire, on the south bank of the River Humber. The total project will incorporate both post-combustion carbon capture and the production of hydrogen for energy. The entire project aims to prevent up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ from being released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas and will future-proof industry in the region.

Shell will be providing Shell’s CANSOLV CO₂ post-combustion carbon capture technology to be retrofitted to the VPI Immingham power station stacks which emit carbon-rich flue gas. Shell’s Alliance partner for CANSOLV CO₂ technology, Technip Energies, will support the design of the capture unit and the pilot plant. The technology will capture 95 per cent or more of the CO₂ in the gas, allowing it to be compressed, transported and safely stored in geological structures under the seabed.

VPI Project Director for Humber Zero, Jonathan Briggs, said:

“Industrial decarbonisation at scale using carbon capture and storage will be essential if the UK is to achieve its ambition of a Net Zero economy by 2050. Humber Zero’s goal of decarbonising the Immingham industrial site will capture up to eight million tonnes of carbon from critical industry and make a significant contribution to toward reaching that goal.

“We’re looking forward to working with Shell in bringing their considerable expertise and capture technology to Humber Zero, and to working together to deliver such an important and exciting project for both Immingham and the Humber.”

Andy Gosse, President, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, commented:

“We are very proud to work with VPI Immingham as a partner for this critical project. Shell’s CANSOLV CO₂ Capture technology has been in operation since 2013, including in a large-scale, commercial, low-pressure application at SaskPower in Canada, where it is designed to capture up to 1 Mt/y of CO₂.

“This project with VPI Immingham will be a flagship project in the Humber and UK journey to Net Zero and will be an important front runner for the world of carbon capture and storage. A pilot campaign run at the VPI plant conducted with our partner Technip, will be a key next step in demonstrate the strength of the CANSOLV technology in capturing CO₂ in natural gas fired power generation”

As the UK’s largest cluster by industrial emissions, decarbonisation of the Humber Region by 2040 is critical for the UK’s net zero ambitions.  Humber Zero aims to remove up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ from critical industry located on the South Humber Bank.

VPI Immingham’s 1.2-gigawatt combined heat and power plant is ideally placed to kick start a reduction in industrial carbon dioxide emissions. Located close to major heavy industry, the plant provides power and heat for around 25 per cent of the UK’s refinery capacity, including the adjacent Phillips 66 Humber Refinery.

Decarbonisation of the plant and essential industry at Immingham will preserve and create new high-quality jobs in the north of England in support of the government’s Levelling Up agenda, whilst enabling new global opportunities for the UK to lead lower-carbon technology in a net zero world.

As part of Humber Zero, the technology provided by Shell will be retrofitted to two of the three gas-fired power generators at the power plant, which also provides up to five per cent of the peak power requirement for the National Grid.

In addition to VPI Immingham, Humber Zero’s industrial partners include Phillips 66 Ltd and energy company and trader Vitol. Phillips 66 will select the licensor for their capture plant at the Humber Refinery in due course.

UKRI, through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, is investing £12.5m of Government funding in the project, with that figure being matched by the Humber Zero partners VPI Immingham LLP and Phillips 66 Ltd.

*CANSOLV is a Shell group trademark.

About VPI
VPI is one of the UK’s leading gas generation businesses and provides nearly 3.3GW of flexible power to the national grid – enough for three million homes. VPI is investing in the UK’s Net Zero future whilst supporting GB energy security when renewable generation is low.

For more information, visit www.vpi.co.uk

About the CANSOLV CO₂ Capture System
Shell’s CANSOLV CO₂ Capture System is the only large-scale, post-combustion technology in commercial operation and is based on amine technology.

It uses a regenerable proprietary amine to capture up to 99% of the CO₂ from low-pressure, oxidised gas streams. As a low-pressure CO₂ capture technology, it is well suited for retrofitting at the tail end of existing plants and greenfield projects. The CO₂ is released as a pure stream that can be sold, sequestered or used for enhanced oil recovery. The technology is highly adaptable to a wide variety of industrial applications, gas flow rates and CO₂ concentrations from 3.5 to 25% and higher. Licensed units treat gases containing a range of CO₂ concentrations at capacities up to 1 Mt/y.

 About Shell Catalysts & Technologies
Shell Catalysts & Technologies, part of Shell, is a leading technology licensor and brings owner–operator–innovator–capabilities to the market. It has more than 1,200 references for gas processing technologies at gas plants and refineries worldwide.

It supports Shell and non-Shell businesses by working with them to co-create integrated, customised solutions comprising licensed technologies, refining and petrochemical catalysts, and technical services.

It was formed by combining Shell Global Solutions, a technology licensor with a track record of delivering pioneering process schemes and innovative configurations; Criterion Catalysts & Technologies, the world’s largest hydroprocessing catalyst supplier; and CRI Catalyst Company, a pioneer in the petrochemical catalyst sector.

It operates across the energy value chain: from upstream, gas processing and liquefied natural gas through to downstream refining and petrochemicals.

For more information, visit www.shell.com/ct.