Spirit Energy to turn natural gas fields into carbon storage hub

CCUS Oil&Gas

United Kingdom – Spirit Energy, a Centrica and Stadtwerke München GmbH (SWM) joint venture energy company, has announced plans to turn its exhausted South Morecambe and North Morecambe gas fields and Barrow Terminals into a premier carbon storage hub.

The project, which is expected to support thousands of highly skilled green jobs in Cumbria and the North West as well as jobs in Spirit Energy’s Aberdeen office, will support the UK’s Net Zero ambitions if it is granted a license by the North Sea Transition Authority and is subject to additional regulatory approvals. It will provide several billion pounds to the local economy, fostering expansion and more investment throughout the area.

Long term storage

The cluster, which is expected to be one of the largest carbon storage and hydrogen production clusters in the UK, will offer a carbon storage solution for the industrial heartlands of the UK. According to current estimates, the project has the capacity to store up to one gigaton of CO2, or nearly three years’ worth of current UK CO2 emissions. This will make it possible for enterprises that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide, such as those in the North West, South Wales, and the Solent, to store their carbon emissions for the long term.

CO2 transported by ship

The project will be able to receive CO2 sent in thanks to the site’s proximity to the Port of Barrow. As a result, industrial sites that are not directly connected to a CO2 pipeline will be able to access a workable and practical option to reduce their carbon emissions, maintain their profitability, and fulfill climate change targets.

The project, which has the support of Centrica, the biggest shareholder in Spirit Energy, and SWM, will put the two businesses at the forefront of the UK’s decarbonization efforts.

Spirit Energy is still looking into possibilities that could grow the cluster and work in concert with the carbon storage facility to maximize the area’s potential, including blue hydrogen synthesis, hydrogen power generation, direct air capture, and integration with renewable power generation.

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