Recently Harbour Energy put forward a project proposal for a new Viking CCS onshore Co2 transportation pipeline. This application was accepted and the project will be able to begin development after it has gone through an examination which will be performed by the UK Planning Inspectorate.

Harbour Energy has announced its plans to create onshore pipelines which will act as a new kind of infrastructure designed for carbon capture technology. The pipeline will be approximately 55-kilometres in length and will be designed with the intention of transporting captured carbon dioxide from the Immingham industrial area, directly to the old Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal site, which is located on the Lincolnshire coast. From this point, the carbon dioxide will then travel another 140km until it reaches the disused and depleted Viking gas fields. Once there the captured Co2 will be stored safely and permanently 2.7 km below the seabed.

The acceptance of their proposal for this project, along with the pending inspection, is a positive step forwards for Harbour Energy as this development brings the project for this company closer to gaining a Development Consent Order (DCO). This would mean that the pipeline would be recognised as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). It would also mean that the development of the pipeline would be put forwards for a series of consultations and engagements with stakeholder and local communities, to ensure that the building of the new infrastructure is created efficiently and in a way that all parties are happy with. This is an incredibly important step as the Viking CCS onshore pipeline is currently being viewed as a necessary addition to the carbon capture industry, due to its effective skills in decarbonising and refreshing the industries within the Humber group. The project is also expected to create a large contribution to the UK’s net zero emissions targets, highlighting further the importance of this project within the carbon capture technology industry.

Aside from the benefits this project will provide for the carbon capture industry, the creation of more infrastructure will also provide benefits to the job industry as through this project, many more jobs will be generated within the Humber region. An estimated 10,000 jobs, both indirect and direct will be created throughout the construction period. Furthermore, over the next decade, a large investment of around £7 billion could be created for the carbon capture industry, including areas such as transport and the storage value chain.

The Director of the Viking CCS Project, Graeme Davies, commented, “This is another critical step forward towards delivering our Viking CCS project, which will create thousands of jobs in the Humber region and is targeting 10 million tonnes per annum of CO2 emissions reduction by 2030, vital for the UK to deliver its climate ambitions.”