The UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security has granted development consent for the Net Zero Teesside Project, a carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) project.
The Net Zero Teesside project comprises a CO2 gathering network, including CO2 pipeline connections from industrial facilities on Teesside to transport the captured CO2.
The project includes a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) station with around 850GW output, cooling water, gas and electricity grid connections and CO2 capture.
It also includes a CO2 gathering or booster station to receive the captured CO2 from the gathering network and CCGT generating station.
Net Zero Teesside also includes an onshore section of a CO2 transport pipeline for the onward transport of the captured CO2 to a suitable offshore geological storage site in the North Sea.
In July 2021, Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) and Net Zero North Sea Storage (NZNS Storage) submitted the application to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration, which was accepted for examination in August 2021.
After the examination, the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were allowed to provide evidence and recommendations to the examining authority.
According to the UK government, Net Zero Teesside is the 131st Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and 77th energy application to be examined by The Planning Inspectorate.
The Planning Inspectorate Chief Executive Paul Morrison said: “The Planning Inspectorate has now examined more than 100 nationally significant infrastructure projects since the Planning Act 2008 process was introduced, ensuring local communities have had the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them.
“Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in this examination.
“The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the Examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State.”
