VPI Immingham appoints partner in flagship project in UK’s journey to net-zero

The Humber Zero project has appointed Shell Catalysts & Technologies to provide the technology that will capture millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the VPI Immingham combined heat-and-power station (CHP) in Greater Lincolnshire.

Humber Zero is a multibillion pound project to decarbonise vital industry in the Immingham industrial area in northern Lincolnshire, on the south bank of the River Humber.

VPI Project Director for Humber Zero, Jonathan Briggs, said:

“Industrial-scale carbon capture and storage will be essential if the UK is to achieve its net-zero targets. Humber Zero is a pioneering project that will capture up to 8 million tonnes of carbon from critical industry, making a significant contribution to the national carbon reduction goal."

Andy Gosse, President, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, commented:

“This project with VPI Immingham will be a flagship project in the Humber and UK journey to net zero and will be an important front-runner for the world of carbon capture and storage.”

As the UK’s largest cluster by industrial emissions, decarbonisation of the Humber Region by 2040 is critical for the UK’s net-zero ambitions. Humber Zero aims to remove up to 8 million tonnes of CO2 from critical industry located on the South Humber Bank. 

VPI Immingham’s 1,240-megawatt combined heat-and-power plant is ideally placed to kickstart a reduction in industrial CO2 emissions. Located close to major heavy industry, the plant provides power and heat for around 25% of the UK’s refinery capacity, including the adjacent Phillips 66 Humber Refinery.

Decarbonisation of the plant and essential industry at Immingham will preserve and create new high-quality jobs in the north of England in support of the government’s Levelling Up agenda, whilst enabling new global opportunities for the UK to lead lower-carbon technology in a net-zero world.

As part of Humber Zero, the technology provided by Shell will be retrofitted to two of the three gas-fired power generators at the power plant, which also provides up to five per cent of the peak power requirement for the National Grid.

In addition to VPI Immingham, Humber Zero’s industrial partners include Phillips 66 Ltd and energy company and trader Vitol. Phillips 66 will select the licensor for their capture plant at the Humber Refinery in due course.

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.