December 9, 2022 7.00 am This story is over 26 months old

Lincolnshire site is UK’s first carbon capture power station with planning permission

Lincolnshire set to be a major player in the climate change battle
A significant step forward for North Lincolnshire's Keadby 3 carbon capture project. | Photo: SSE Thermal
By Local Democracy Reporter

Planning permission has been granted to the UK’s first carbon capture and storage power station — located in Lincolnshire, which will potentially make the county a national leader in the bid to cut emissions.

The proposed Keadby 3 plant near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire received a Development Consent Order following a consultation period, thanks to its capacity to capture up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 each year.

Developers of the project, SSE Thermal and Equinor, say the site could become the UK’s first ever power station equipped with carbon capture technology – with a vision to complete by the mid 2020s.

The application involves a combined cycle gas turbine power station, containing a unit with a 910 megawatts gross electrical output capacity, as well as a carbon capture and compression plant.

It was submitted for consideration by Keadby Generation Limited on June 1, 2021 and accepted for examination later that month.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy granted developmental consent to SSE Thermal and Equinor for the Keadby 3 project.

SSE claim that the power station could be operational as early as 2027, and the Keadby 3 site alone has the potential to represent at least 5% of the UK government’s 2030 target of reducing millions of tonnes of carbon emissions.

It could prove to be a landmark moment for Lincolnshire in the ongoing mission to reduce carbon emissions on a national scale, which our region already plays a major role in.

The world’s largest offshore wind farm is situated by the coast of Grimsby, so another Northern Lincolnshire development focused on cutting carbon footprints is expected to be welcomed.

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