Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery – a UK-based supplier of fuels, part of Prax Group, launched the plan for its carbon capture project that includes an investment of £300 million ($370 million). The initial goal of the project is to capture 1 million metric tons of CO2 per year from the refinery’s heaters and process units for transport and storage by Harbour Energy.
The plan for the carbon capture project was presented by Luc Smets, general manager, ahead of a CBI-led regional round table event to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the £15 billion Humber 2030 Vision – a grand portfolio of decarbonization projects in the Humber region. Back in September 2021, Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery joined the V Net Zero Humber Cluster – a decarbonization project based in the Humber region in the northeast of England.
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According to Mr. Smets, the engineering, procurement and construction work is eyed to commence next year, with October 2027 as the date of completion if the necessary support emerges. The pre-front-end engineering design work is currently coming to an end, and the carbon capture project is anticipated to enter FEED in the second quarter of 2023.
The CO2 from the plant is expected to be sequestered after the year 2028. The project involves a major infrastructure addition to the 55-year-old oil refinery and is expected to create 2,000 temporary jobs, with significant supply chain opportunities.
According to Mr. Smets, the project will bear fruits only if the company can find the right people to help them, referring to the looming skills shortage. “We will need more than 2,000 additional temporary workers that we need to attract here to the region, that’s us alone, and I’m understanding we will be working alongside many other projects. There is a feasibility concern for everybody working in similar projects,” he added.
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He also pointed out Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery needs to work together with other stakeholders as partners, across finance, and government, to receive the necessary support from the regulatory framework so that the project could be realized.
