A CONSULTATION process has been launched on proposals to create a carbon capture, usage and storage project on Teesside – potentially the first commercial project of its kind in the UK.

Bosses say the project will utilise the world-leading expertise of its partners on Teesside, and support 4,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction.

When operational, this will capture carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the annual energy use of up to 1 million homes in the UK.

The project's first jobs are expected to be created within months

The group behind this – the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OCGI) – comprises of 13 member organisations from the oil and gas sector taking practical actions to combat climate change.

Mr Houchen said: “This consultation is the next step to bring a clean energy project with the potential to create thousands of jobs and create billions of pounds of economic benefit for the north east coast over the next 40 years. The best in class global project will bring world-leading technological expertise to Teesside, with CO2 captured and stored via pipelines under the North Sea.

“My ambition is for the Tees Valley to become the clean growth capital of Europe, bringing jobs and further investment, and this fantastic project is a huge part of that. We have the expertise, we have the infrastructure and we have the project to make this a reality.”

Colin McGill, Net Zero Teesside Project Director, said, “Net Zero Teesside has the potential to further regenerate and revitalise the Teesside region. It aims to attract new technologies and investment by bringing new companies that want a zero carbon footprint to the hub. It can deliver new jobs and economic growth locally, supporting 4,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction, and help to sustain current jobs in the Teesside industrial cluster.

"We bring together the expertise of 13 world class industry players with experience in successfully developing CCUS technology, which is vital in the fight against climate change. Ultimately we want Net Zero Teesside to be a world leader in industrial decarbonisation, and understanding the local community perspective on the project is vital to help us deliver on those ambitious plans.”