White Rose Selected for Carbon Capture and Storage Funding

Capture Power Limited ("Capture Power") today welcomed the UK Government's announcement that it has selected the White Rose CCS Project for funding under the UK CCS Commercialisation Programme (the Programme). Funding is to be awarded for Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) work, which is the next step in the development process.

This latest stage in the Programme comes after a period of detailed commercial discussions with the Government following the shortlisting of four projects from the initial list of eight. The White Rose CCS Project was scrutinised against criteria including project deliverability, value for money and the UKs timetable to deliver a cost-competitive CCS industry in the 2020s. Capture Power will now continue to work with DECC with a view to concluding a Project Contract for the construction and operation of the full chain CCS project within the next 18 months.

Commenting on the announcement, a Capture Power spokesperson said: "We are delighted that our project has been successful in attracting funding. We believe White Rose has great potential to demonstrate oxyfuel CCS technology for other projects in the UK and overseas. It also highlights the strategic strength of the Yorkshire and Humber region as a hub for CCS driving the formation of a cluster for CO2 transportation and storage. 

Located on land adjacent to the existing Drax Power Station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, the 426MW (gross) power plant will burn coal with the added ability to co-fire sustainable biomass and meet the equivalent power needs of over 630,000 homes. Fully equipped with CCS technology from the outset, 90% of all the CO2 produced by the plant will be captured and transported by  pipeline for permanent storage deep beneath the North Sea seabed.

Capture Power is a consortium set up by Alstom, Drax and BOC to develop the White Rose CCS Project, in close co-operation with National Grid, who will provide the transportation and storage infrastructure for the project.

Press Contacts

Emmanuelle Châtelain, Isabelle Tourancheau (Alstom Corporate) - Tel +33 1 41 49 37 38 /39 95
emmanuelle.chatelain@chq.alstom.com, isabelle.tourancheau@chq.alstom.com  

Jonathan Smith (Alstom UK) Tel: +44 (0) 7801 775650
jonathan.smith@alstom.com

Melanie Wedgbury (Drax) Tel: +44 (0)1757 612933
melanie.wedgbury@draxpower.com

Susan Tyzack (BOC) Tel: +44 (0)1483 244224
susan.tyzack@boc.com

Stephanie van Rosse (National Grid) Tel: +44 (0)1455 231131
stephanie.van-rosse@nationalgrid.com

Notes to editors

1. Details of the White Rose CCS Project can be found at a new website: www.whiteroseccs.co.uk
2. Alstom, Drax and BOC are the project co-developers of the power generation and CO2 capture facilities.  The three partners have formed a company called Capture Power Limited that will be responsible for the development, implementation and operation of the new plant. As a part of this cooperation, Alstom will have responsibility for construction and Drax for operation and maintenance of the power plant including the CO₂ capture facilities. BOC will have responsibility for construction, and operation and maintenance of the air separation unit that provides oxygen for the operation of the oxyfuel capture plant.
3. National Grid will construct and operate the CO₂ transport pipelines and, with partners, the permanent CO₂ undersea storage facilities in the North Sea. National Grid hopes this project will act as a trunk-line to a regional CCS network, capturing the carbon dioxide produced by a cluster of power stations and other energy intensive industries across the Yorkshire and Humber region.
4. At a national level the White Rose CCS Project will contribute to a range of potential benefits:
5. Local benefits of the proposal include:

• Demonstrating oxyfuel CCS technology as a flexible, cost effective and viable low-carbon technology.
• Reducing CO₂ emissions in order to meet future environmental legislation and combat climate change.
• Improving the UKs security of electricity supply by providing a new, flexible and reliable coal-based, low-carbon electricity generation option.
• Generating enough low-carbon electricity to supply the energy needs of the equivalent of over 630,000 households.
• Acting as an anchor project for the development of a CO₂ transportation and storage network in the UKs most energy intensive region thereby facilitating decarbonisation and attracting new investment.

• An expected average of 1,250 new construction jobs over the three-year plant development period at the Drax site.
• At least 60 operational jobs at the new plant as well as additional indirect supply and maintenance posts.
• Increased turnover for local businesses during the construction and operational periods.