Humber Zero, a pioneering project to significantly reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions from key industries in the UK’s Humber region, will move one step closer to realisation following the appointment of global engineering services company Worley to deliver a critical phase of the project for VPI.
Supported by the UK government, Humber Zero is a multi-billion-pound investment which aims to remove up to eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from the Immingham industrial area in North Lincolnshire by 2030 using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The partners for the Humber Zero project are VPI Immingham LLP who operate the 1,240MW Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant in the region, Phillips 66 Ltd who own and run the adjacent Humber Refinery, and energy trader Vitol.
Worley’s appointment as the contractor for the front-end engineering design (FEED) stage of the proposed post-combustion carbon capture at the VPI Immingham facility marks a major step forward in Humber Zero making a significant contribution to the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.
VPI Project Director for Humber Zero, Jonathan Briggs, said:
“Worley has extensive expertise and experience in delivering the critical phases of major projects and their appointment as FEED contractors for our part of Humber Zero demonstrates rapid progress in the development of this project.
“Decarbonisation will be an essential element of the UK Government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and CCS will be central to achieving those targets. That is why Innovate UK matched industry investment announced in the spring to help give this project a major boost.”
Bradley Andrews, President at Worley, said:
“This project is important to the decarbonization journey of the South Humber Bank in the UK and our global expertise in CCUS centred in the UK will help VPI achieve its vision.
“Delivering a more sustainable world needs more than policy and discussion. We need decisive action and predictable project execution. Our hope is that this is just the start of the journey to help adapt existing assets and decarbonise industrial hubs.”
The FEED phase of the project will be carried out by Worley’s offices in the UK, and will define the project scope, identify equipment and infrastructure needs, and set out a more detailed timeline for work. Carbon captured from the combustion process at both the Humber Refinery and VPI Immingham will be compressed and exported by pipeline to secure storage deep under the bed of the North Sea.
A further phase of the project aims to produce hydrogen at scale for immediate use and fuel switching from natural gas to hydrogen to further decarbonise the Immingham industrial site.
The Humber region currently represents more than 40 per cent of the UK’s industrial emissions. The project will also play a role in stimulating the local economy creating 2,500 jobs during construction, 200 permanent jobs and sustaining 20,000 direct and indirect jobs on the South Humber Bank.
The project is a partner in the Humber Industrial Cluster Plan, which sets out the region’s decarbonisation journey and was awarded £1.7 million at the start of the year. UK Research and Innovation (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.
Notes to Editors
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 Worley
We deliver project and asset services for the energy, chemicals and resources sectors around the world. We provide expertise in engineering, procurement and construction, as well as consulting services. Every day we help our customers get one step closer to solving our planet’s toughest issues, such as climate change, the energy transition, digital transformation and how we can deliver a more sustainable world.
Find out more on worley.com.