Images: Getty Images
CAMPAIGN Carbon capture Hynet
Decarbonise – not deindustrialise, Hynet carbon capture is big news
England’s North West will be at the centre of the UK’s decarbonsation efforts with Hynet, a major new Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) project.
The project is set to involve the creation of 6,000 permanent construction roles, with many more temporary roles during the construction phase. Ultimately, it is estimated that the ambitious Hynet project will support 75,000 jobs across the UK by 2035.
So what exactly is Hynet and how will it work? As a CCUS project, it will link a cluster of energy-intensive manufacturing businesses across the North West, many of which are Unite recognised or employ Unite members, to collectively reduce their carbon emissions.
Some of these businesses include manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover,
‘‘
We want our national agreements honoured... At a site like Stanlow, you really have to be skilled and trained to a high standard because the potential for a major accident is high
John Fitzpatrick,
Unite senior shop steward at Stanlow Essar
Reducing carbon – Encirc
consumer giant Unilever, breakfast cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s and glass manufacturer Encirc, among more than a dozen others. The project will not only help decarbonise industry in the area but will also safeguard hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs as the UK transforms into a low-carbon economy.
At present, these businesses use natural gas to power their operations, which is a significant emitter of CO2. Businesses which have signed up to be part of the project will switch to low-carbon hydrogen supplied by Hynet and produced at the Stanlow oil refinery. In addition to producing and supplying hydrogen, Hynet infrastructure will also capture, transport and safely and permanently store CO2 emissions in disused gas fields in Liverpool Bay, in the Irish Sea (as in picture opposite).
The Hynet project will save over a million tonnes of CO2 emissions
24 unite buildingWORKER Spring 2025
every year – the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road annually. Hynet also plans to eventually power homes and small businesses in the distribution area with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas. These users won’t have to change gas appliances or the way they use gas to link into their infrastructure, which will make the transition to low-carbon energy for local small businesses and individuals seamless.
The project received a big boost in October, when the Labour government announced that Hynet would be one of two CCUS projects it would fund – to the tune of more than £20bn – over the next 25 years. Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotherham welcomed the government announcement, made at glass manufacturer Encirc in October.
“This commitment takes us another step closer to our ambitious net zero goals,” he said. “It’s a powerful reminder of what can be achieved
‘‘
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
