Two more major industry names have joined the Zero Carbon Humber charge to pioneer the region’s Net Zero transformation.
Ineos Acetyls and Velocys have swelled the partnership to 14, building on the dozen signed up at launch.
It comes just months after the consortium was selected by the Government - as part of the wider East Coast Cluster - to be one of the UK’s first two regions to decarbonise its industrial base.
Read more: Decarbonisation? Humber has it all mapped out on route to Net Zero
Last month three specific projects within the proposed dual network of hydrogen and carbon capture and storage were put forward to a second phase of funding.
Dan Sadler, vice president of UK low carbon solutions at Equinor, the energy giant behind the anchor hydrogen production plant, said: “We’re delighted to attract such major regional businesses to join our partnership which is moving from strength to strength. Both Ineos and Velocys have exciting and ground-breaking decarbonisation projects which support this region’s claim to be the UK’s Energy Estuary, will continue to create significant employment and skills opportunities and further our ultimate ambition to make the Humber net zero by 2040.”
Ineos, founded by former Beverley Grammar pupil Sir Jim Ratcliffe, acquired BP’s remaining operations at Saltend Chemicals Park in early 2021, where it employs more than 300 people, supplying into various industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, paints, adhesives and packaging.
A tenant of founding partner PX Group and neighbour to fuel-switching generator Triton Power, Ineos was also recently announced as one of six companies keen to take an initial offtake of hydrogen from Equinor’s H2H Saltend proposal.
David Brooks, chief executive of Ineos Acetyls said: “The site in Hull has a long tradition of developing lower carbon solutions, so we’re proud to become part of the Zero Carbon Humber consortium, helping the region to be competitive for generations to come. It reinforces Ineos’ commitment to producing essential products while reducing emissions to net zero by 2050.”
Velocys is behind plans for a £350 million green jet fuel plant at Stallingborough on the South Humber Bank. It provides the technology to produce from waste feedstock, and has been designed to be ready to plug into a carbon capture network.
Dr Neville Hargreaves, Velocys’ vice president for waste to fuels, said: “Velocys is delighted to be joining the impressive group of companies that make up Zero Carbon Humber.
“The Altalto project, in collaboration with British Airways, can deliver zero carbon flight this decade and is an example of the new industries enabled by carbon capture and storage, bringing skilled green jobs to the region.”
Those behind the partnership said the additions increase the diversity of projects and technologies in the region, “underlining why the Humber is of strategic importance to the UK’s decarbonisation efforts and the Government’s Net Zero and industrial strategies”.
It will also strengthen the backing of the Zero Carbon Humber initiative with budget proposals put to a steering board and member companies agreeing contribution levels - with minimum thresholds in place.
Welcoming the widening, Jonathan Oxley, Humber Cluster Plan manager, said: “Ineos and Velocys are both significant manufacturers in the Humber area, and as such it is great to see their ambition to progress the decarbonisation of their operations. We look forward to working with the enlarged Zero Carbon Humber partnership – and all our industrial partners – to advance the decarbonisation of industry across the Humber.”
Ineos and Velocys join Associated British Ports, British Steel, Centrica Storage, Drax Group, Equinor, Mitsubishi Power, National Grid Ventures, PX Group, SSE Thermal, Saltend Cogeneration Company Limited (Triton Power), Uniper and the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre as part of Zero Carbon Humber.
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