Energy Minister visits VPI’s Immingham plant advancing £1.5bn carbon capture project

‘Viking CCS has the potential to transform the Humber into a world leading net zero industrial region’

Energy Minister Michael Shanks recently toured VPI’s Immingham Combined Heat and Power Plant which is advancing a significant £1.5bn green energy initiative. The Minister met with VPI’s senior leaders, apprentices, and the Humber Zero team to discuss the company’s major industrial decarbonisation project.

The Immingham facility is crucial for the region, providing essential electricity and steam for industrial operations, including refining, sustainable aviation fuel production, and battery material manufacturing. It also has the capacity to power up to 1.2 million homes.

VPI’s far-reaching plan involves retrofitting carbon capture technology onto two of the plant’s three generating units. The project is expected to capture up to 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 annually, a scale vital for making the connected Viking CCS transport and storage network commercially viable.

VPI’s £1.5bn investment into the scheme is projected to create around 1,500 jobs during peak construction, as well as numerous skilled permanent roles upon operation. The project has already secured planning consent and the UK’s first environmental permit for its post-combustion capture technology.

Viking CCS recently received Government backing and is forecast to attract £13bn in investment to the Humber region, supporting around 20,000 construction jobs at its peak. The cluster is also expected to generate new import revenue for the UK through carbon sequestration services via the Port of Immingham.

Following his visit, Minister Shanks said: “This Government is delivering first of a kind carbon capture projects in the UK, backed by £9.4bn over this parliament – supporting thousands of jobs across the country and reigniting our industrial heartlands. Immingham has the potential to play a vital role in Britain’s clean energy future.”

VPI CEO Jorge Pikunic added: “Through Humber Zero, our carbon capture and storage project, it now has the potential to be among the first sites delivering low‑carbon, dispatchable power and steam, as one of the initial users of the Viking CCS transport and storage network, unlocking an abatement pathway for the region.”

Graeme Davies, executive vice president for CCS at Harbour Energy, welcomed the Minister’s visit, adding: “Viking CCS has the potential to transform the Humber into a world leading net zero industrial region, while supporting jobs and long-term economic growth.

“We welcome Minister Shanks’ visit to see the role our cluster partners are playing firsthand to unlock investment and we look forward to continuing our collaborative work to progress the project.”

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