The first public consultation into the huge Humber Zero project to clean up the South Bank’s power and refining cluster opens this week.
Carbon capture proposals from Phillips 66 and VPI Immingham will be put on display, with members of the team there to talk through the plans, progressed significantly over the past two years since it was first revealed.
What could be an investment totalling more than £2 billion as it widens out, Humber Zero is targeting the removal of up to eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2050, transforming one of the most heavily polluting industrial zones in Europe.
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It will pioneer a lower-carbon industrial future for the region, with around 2,500 construction jobs and 200 permanent roles envisaged, with estimates that it will sustain more than 20,000 jobs directly or indirectly.
The consultation will be on the first phase of the project – the introduction of new carbon capture technology and infrastructure to existing facilities within Phillips 66’s Humber Refinery and VPI Immingham’s combined heat and power plant.
An indicative image of how the Humber Zero carbon capture and storage infrastructure at Phillips 66 Humber Refinery could look. (Image: Humber Zero)VPI’s project director for Humber Zero, Jonathan Briggs, said: “The project will see an investment of more than £1 billion and will make a substantial contribution to the UK’s Net Zero targets. The views of the people who live and work around Immingham will be vitally important in shaping the final plans to be submitted to the council.”
The Humber Zero project, outlined to be on track for a 2023 build last week, will aim to capture CO2 from two of the three gas turbine generators at the power station and the fluid catalytic cracker at the refinery.
This first stage could prevent up to 3.8 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year by 2028.
Mike Wailes, manager of European strategy for Phillips 66, said: “We are excited to share the plans for Humber Zero. Our project has the potential to support change across industries, both within the Humber region and globally. There are roughly 300 fluid catalytic crackers across the world, where the knowledge from Humber Zero could be leveraged.”
The events take place at The Ashbourne Hotel, North Killingholme between 3pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday, June 8; Immingham Civic Centre between 11.30am and 2.30pm on Saturday, June 11 and South Killingholme Community Centre between 11am and 2pm on Thursday, June 16.
There will also be an opportunity to view and comment on the plans online, with a consultation room open on the Humber Zero website until July 7.
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