Shell, Storegga, and Harbour Energy strengthen partnership in the Acorn Project
The Acorn Project will help decarbonise industries and homes across Scotland and the UK
Shell, Harbour Energy, and Storegga (through its subsidiary Pale Blue Dot Energy) today (16th April) have become equal partners in the Acorn Project, one of the largest CCS and hydrogen project in the UK, H2 Bulletin reports.
Storegga has previously announced (12th April) the development agreement with Shell and Harbour Energy for the Project, but today agreement makes them equal partners in the project and will develop the project through to Final Investment Decision, construction, operation and beyond.
The Acorn Project will use North Sea natural gas and reforming it into clean-burning hydrogen, with CO2 emissions captured and stored under the sea at the Acorn CO2 Storage Site. This is expected to be operational by 2025. Initially, Acorn Hydrogen will focus on blending hydrogen with natural gas. It will then be supplied to industrial use, power, and mobility.
The Acorn Project is focused on delivering critical UK CCS infrastructure by the mid-2020s with the full expectation of storing between 5-6 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. This is almost half the CO2 emissions planned in the UK Government’s Ten Point Plan for a green Industrial Revolution by 2030. The project will see CO2 sourced from the St Fergus gas terminal in Aberdeenshire, and elsewhere including imports from Europe and storing it at Peterhead Port, Acorn.
Nick Cooper, CEO of Storegga, said, “Safely and securely managing and removing the emissions of industry and society is our core business.”
Steve Phimister, Shell UK’s Upstream Director, said, “‘Shell will seek to have access to an additional 25 million tonnes a year of carbon capture and storage (CCS) capacity by 2035.”
Mr Phimister further added that Shell has large scale projects being developed in Australia and Norway and a facility in Canada already capturing 1 million tonnes/year. But to reach net-zero, the world needs much more CCS capacity.
Phil Kirk, Harbour Energy’s Group President and CEO Europe, said, “Investing in carbon capture and storage initiatives is part of Harbour Energy’s commitment to a low carbon future and attaining our operational goal of Net Zero by 2035.”
