May 11 (Reuters) - British utility SSE and Norwegian
energy firm Equinor are jointly developing a new
gas-fired power plant equipped with carbon capture technology
(CCS) at Peterhead in Scotland, they said on Tuesday.
The planned new 900-megawatt (MW) Peterhead CCS Power
Station could capture up to 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
(CO2) every year, 15% of the UK government's annual target of 10
million tonnes of CO2 capture by 2030, the companies said.
SSE operates a combined cycle gas turbine power station at
the site in Aberdeenshire, which it is seeking to decarbonise.
The carbon dioxide released when natural gas is burned will
be captured and could be transported to the Acorn CO2 storage
site being developed 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) off the
Scottish North Sea coast, the companies said.
Both projects are part of Scotland's Net Zero Infrastructure
programme, which recently won UK government funding.
The final investment decision for the Peterhead plant will
depend on the progress of the necessary business models and
associated infrastructure, but with appropriate policy
mechanisms in place, the new station could come online by 2026,
SSE and Equinor said.
"Carbon capture storage technology is one of the most
exciting and innovative ways that we're looking to tackle
climate change, and today's announcement marks a significant
step towards a greener, more sustainable future for Scotland and
the whole UK," the British Energy Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan
said.
Britain has a target to reach net zero carbon emissions by
2050 and will be hosting this year's United Nations climate
talks, COP 26, in Glasgow.
SSE and Equinor are already jointly developing two
low-carbon power stations at Keadby in North Lincolnshire and
also partner in the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.
(Reporting by Nora Buli in Oslo; Editing by Richard Chang)
SSE (SSE)
