Cheshire leaders welcome green light for trailblazing carbon capture project

Cheshire and Warrington leaders have hailed “another big step” towards a collective ambition to make the region “the healthiest, most sustainable, inclusive and growing economy in the UK”

This comes after a trailblazing carbon capture project got the green light to begin construction and create hundreds of new jobs.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has now confirmed it had signed off an agreement with HyNet Alliance partner Encyclis so it can begin to invest and construct their carbon capture plant at the Protos carbon capture and storage (CCS) project near Ellesmere Port.

Encyclis says the announcement means its carbon capture plant is on track to be operational by mid-2029, creating up to 500 skilled jobs, delivering a significant boost to the regional supply chain and preventing the release of around 370,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Captured CO2 from Protos Energy Recovery Facility will be transported via pipeline for permanent and secure storage in depleted gas reservoirs in Liverpool Bay.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the North West Net Zero Hub’s North West Clean Power Plan which concludes that Cheshire and Warrington and other parts of the North West are set to be “global leaders in clean energy innovation and industrial decarbonisation”.

Cheshire and Warrington is leading this, with the Prime Minister visiting Cheshire in February to announce £11 billion of funding for the Hynet Hydrogen production and carbon dioxide capture programme centered on the Origin Cluster in Ellesmere Port.

Today Gemma Davies, Director Economy and Housing at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said:

“Cheshire and Warrington is proud to be at the forefront of clean energy and the decarbonisation revolution and today’s announcement further cements this.

“The government’s green light for Encyclis will not only secure and create hundreds of new jobs but help the local economy thrive, reduce emissions and is a big step towards our unwavering collective ambition to make Cheshire and Warrington the healthiest, most sustainable, inclusive and growing economy in the UK.”

Yesterday the government also gave the green light to Heidelberg Materials, another carbon capture plant in Padeswood in North Wales.

Making the Final Investment Decision announcement, the government said the backing followed its “£9.4 billion investment into Carbon Capture at the Spending Review”.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: 

“Our clean energy mission means good jobs, regional growth, and investment for local communities. These trailblazing projects showcase North Wales and the North West’s workforce on the global stage – leading the charge in the clean industries of the future and powering Britain’s reindustrialisation.”