The Phillips 66 refinery, located in the Humber region on the East Coast of England, has received approval to plan a carbon capture plant for its operations on this site.
Envisioned to capture emissions post-combustion, the decarbonization structure will be attached to the leading polluter at this location—Phillips 66’s Fluid Catalytic Converter (FCC) stack.
Once captured, the CO2 will be transported via a pipeline for permanent storage under the North Sea.
While the transport and storage phase is still under discussion, a Phillips 66 representative has mentioned the Viking carbon capture and storage (CCS) pipeline as the most probable solution for the needs of this capture plant.
The green light for planning a carbon capture system at this refinery marks a significant step forward in the effort to curb emissions in the Humber region, labeled as the largest industrial emitter in the UK.
Aiming to address the pollution issue in the area, VPI Immingham LLP and Phillips 66 launched the Humber Zero project, which includes adding carbon capture capacity to VPI’s Immingham plant as well as the Phillips 66 Humber refinery. This decision falls within the Viking CCS Cluster agenda.
The ambitious project started out with a target of removing up to 8 million tonnes (Mt) of atmospheric carbon emissions each year from the Immingham industrial cluster.
However, the target was later adjusted to cover just the first phase that can remove up to 3.8 Mt of CO2 annually from the Humber refinery’s FCC stack and also from two of the gas turbines and auxiliary boilers at the VPI Immingham CHP Plant starting in 2028.
Relevant: Worley Selected As Engineering Partner For UK Carbon Capture Project
Speaking on behalf of the company, the Phillps 66 representative shared that they are pleased to have received the planning permission for the carbon capture plant.
“This is a significant step in our journey as we work towards reducing our operational emissions. We await details from the government on the process for selecting industrial projects to connect to the Viking CCS transport and storage pipeline so we can further develop this project.”
Read more: Phillips 66 Vows To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 30%
