Apollo Engineering, based in Aberdeen, northeast Scotland, will spearhead three feasibility studies for the Severnside Carbon Capture and Shipping Hub (7CO2), planned at Avonmouth Dock near Bristol, the company announced on Wednesday.
This hub aims to support decarbonization for industrial emitters across South West England, the Midlands, and West Wales.
The goal is to capture, transport, and permanently store up to 8 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, potentially preserving and creating over 6,000 jobs.
The 7CO2 project plans to facilitate the transportation of post-combustion CO2 to offshore storage in the North Sea.
The initiative is expected to draw up to £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) in investment to Bristol and over £4 billion ($5 billion) to the surrounding regions.
Funded by 7CO2 and the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK, with £100,000 ($127,000), the studies will explore rail, land, and power options for the West of England Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan (LIDP).
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Seventeen Apollo engineers will assess the feasibility of using rail for CO2 transport from regional emitters and identify land for additional decarbonization projects like hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The engineering company will also investigate cost-effective power supply options, including renewable energy and small modular nuclear reactors.
Phil Westmorland, Apollo’s decarbonization director, highlighted the project’s potential to significantly impact regional decarbonization efforts and advance the UK’s climate goals.
The UK government included the 7CO2 project among 12 initiatives to receive a share of £6 million ($7.6 million) in funding from the LIDP competition earlier this year.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) aims to support dispersed industrial manufacturers not located in existing clusters to decarbonize and reduce emissions.
Other notable LIDP projects include the Solent Cluster, the ID-NI project in Northern Ireland, and the NEW-ID project in North East Wales.
These initiatives fall outside the Track 1 and 2 cluster sequencing process, which includes major industrial clusters like HyNet, the East Coast Cluster, Acorn, and Viking CCS.
These projects are part of the UK’s broader plan to develop a carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) sector.
