Yorkshire pipeline
‘would bring £1.3bn boost for economy’

CONSTRUCTING a carbon dioxide pipeline network across Yorkshire would boost the UK’s economy by £1.3bn while opening up the region to vast foreign investment, a new report has found.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th Oct 2012, 07:00 BST

A study by consultancy 
CO2Sense has concluded about 4,000 jobs would be created if the Government pushes ahead with the development of a sprawling carbon capture and storage (CCS) network for the region.

Yorkshire is seen as the ideal place to trial the fledgling technology due to its large number of power stations and heavy industries, and its proximity to depleted North Sea oil and gas fields where scientists believe large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) could be stored for millions of years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The report suggests a region-wide CO2 pipeline would be a major draw for foreign investors looking for locations to site heavy industries, potentially allowing them to tap into the pipeline and offset their carbon emissions.

CO2Sense claims up to £11bn of foreign investment could be drawn in, creating 11,000 jobs.

The chairman of CO2Sense, Barry Dodd, said: “This report gives conclusive evidence for the business case for investing in CCS in Yorkshire. The opportunities for the supply chain are enormous, as are the potential for inward investment in the area.”

The Government and the EU are poised to announce within weeks which projects have won their long-delayed CCS funding competitions, designed to provide hundreds of millions of pounds of start-up capital to get the first major schemes off the ground.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Yorkshire region has three separate projects bidding for funding with ‘clean coal’ power stations proposed at Hatfield, Drax and North Killingholme. Planners hope one or more of those schemes will form the first part of a wider CCS network.

The Yorkshire Post is campaigning for the region to be selected for government funding as part of its Give us a Fair Deal campaign.

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith said: “This report shows why investing in Yorkshire and Humber CCS is the right move. We have the chance to make Yorkshire an internationally renowned hub for low carbon technology and expertise – providing opportunities and jobs for generations to come.”

Comment: Page 12.

Related topics:YorkshireYorkshire PostGovernmentCCSCO2