Renewable energy firm Evero has announced that both of its carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects have successfully passed the ‘deliverability assessment’ under the UK Government’s Hynet Track 1 expansion initiative. This marks a significant step towards the development of two large-scale greenhouse gas removal (GGR) facilities, which are expected to be operational by 2030.
The announcement follows the UK government’s approval on October 4 of a £22 billion investment in CCS projects, including the Hynet cluster. The two projects, which involve retrofitting existing plants, will be located at the Ince Biopower plant near Ellesmere Port and the Mersey Bioenergy plant near Widnes.
Currently, both plants process over 300,000 tonnes of locally sourced waste wood into renewable electricity, diverting it from landfill. With the addition of CCS technology, the facilities are projected to capture as much as 400,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Simon Hicks, CEO of Evero, expressed enthusiasm about the government’s recognition of the projects. He highlighted their significance for the UK’s long-term environmental goals, particularly in meeting net-zero targets. Once operational, the plants will contribute to removing over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.
Hicks also emphasized the sustainability of the company’s approach, utilizing locally sourced waste wood as feedstock. Evero’s bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects are seen as a promising method for scaling up carbon removals from biomass. The technology has the potential to be replicated at other waste wood-fueled renewable plants across the UK, with an estimated total CO2 removal capacity of 3.6 million tonnes per year.
“We are delivering on our promise to be forever capturing carbon,” Hicks added, noting the milestone’s importance in advancing the UK’s low-carbon future.
