Teesside will soon become home to what is described as the UK’s first net zero power station.
Located at the industrial site Wilton International, the ‘Whitetail Clean Energy’ natural gas power plant will capture and store its carbon emissions deep under the North Sea.
Endorsing the location of the project, its partners, the US clean energy innovation firm 8 Rivers Capital and Sembcorp Energy UK said Wilton International offers pipeline access to ensure that all the plant’s captured carbon dioxide can be conveniently transported to sequestration sites.
The power station is predicted to produce around 300MW of clean electricity and support more than 2,000 jobs during its construction phase.
The project aims to scale up the technology to full commercial deployment.
Energy & Climate Change Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “The development of the UK’s first-ever net zero power station, benefitting from over £6 million government support since 2012 is a real game-changer and a significant step forward in the UK’s fight against climate change as we build back greener from the pandemic.”
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, said: “This is yet another huge boost for Teesside and will see more good-quality, well-paid jobs created first in construction and then the innovative clean energy sector.”
