The official launch of the Milford Haven CO2 Project, hosted at the Senedd by Samuel Kurtz MS, brought together over 85 Welsh Senedd Members and business leaders, showcasing Wales’ leadership in achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
The groundbreaking carbon capture and shipping initiative, a collaboration between RWE and Dragon LNG, supported by Acorn, aims to capture up to 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year from the early 2030’s, significantly contributing to the UK and Wales' net-zero targets while generating jobs and delivering £8 billion to the national economy.
By combining expertise, RWE’s Pembroke Net Zero Centre and Dragon Energy aim to capture and safely store CO2, reducing emissions while ensuring Pembroke Power Station continues to provide reliable, low-carbon power to the grid. It’s a partnership exemplifying what can be achieved when industry leaders unite behind a shared vision for sustainability.
Mr Kurtz said: “The Milford Haven CO2 Project is a beacon of innovation, proving that Wales is not only ready to embrace the transition to a low-carbon future but to lead the charge. This project will safeguard local jobs in the industries that have long supported our county’s economy, power millions of homes, and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The Milford Haven CO2 Project integrates carbon capture at RWE’s Pembroke Power Station, liquefaction at Dragon LNG, and transportation to the North Sea for permanent storage, making CO2 shipping a reality for Wales.
As part of the Milford Haven Future Energy Cluster, an industrial hub within the South Wales Industrial Cluster, this project will play a critical role in preserving South Wales' £6 billion industrial sector by providing a non-pipeline CO2 transportation solution.
The initiative is expected to create thousands of jobs during construction, protect skilled roles during operation, and drive economic prosperity.
The groundbreaking carbon capture and shipping initiative, a collaboration between RWE and Dragon LNG, supported by Acorn, aims to capture up to 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year from the early 2030’s, significantly contributing to the UK and Wales' net-zero targets while generating jobs and delivering £8 billion to the national economy.
By combining expertise, RWE’s Pembroke Net Zero Centre and Dragon Energy aim to capture and safely store CO2, reducing emissions while ensuring Pembroke Power Station continues to provide reliable, low-carbon power to the grid. It’s a partnership exemplifying what can be achieved when industry leaders unite behind a shared vision for sustainability.
Mr Kurtz said: “The Milford Haven CO2 Project is a beacon of innovation, proving that Wales is not only ready to embrace the transition to a low-carbon future but to lead the charge. This project will safeguard local jobs in the industries that have long supported our county’s economy, power millions of homes, and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The Milford Haven CO2 Project integrates carbon capture at RWE’s Pembroke Power Station, liquefaction at Dragon LNG, and transportation to the North Sea for permanent storage, making CO2 shipping a reality for Wales.
As part of the Milford Haven Future Energy Cluster, an industrial hub within the South Wales Industrial Cluster, this project will play a critical role in preserving South Wales' £6 billion industrial sector by providing a non-pipeline CO2 transportation solution.
The initiative is expected to create thousands of jobs during construction, protect skilled roles during operation, and drive economic prosperity.
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NewsTranscript
00:00South Wales, an industrial powerhouse, driving the UK's energy future.
00:08Embedded in the Celtic Freeport, the Milford Haven Waterway is the UK's largest cluster of energy-related businesses,
00:15handling approximately 20% of the UK's energy need.
00:19At its heart, the Milford Haven CO2 Project, a collaborative effort between RWE and Dragon LNG
00:27that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions, enabling industries to thrive while achieving net zero goals.
00:34Carbon capture and storage is key to securing a sustainable energy future and the project is tackling this,
00:40combining the best minds in power generation, gas handling, liquids and CO2 shipping and storage.
00:48Milford Haven is leading the way, showing the UK how to build a truly sustainable energy future.
00:54The Milford Haven CO2 Project is a collaboration between RWE and Dragon LNG
01:00to create a first-of-a-kind CO2 capture and shipping solution for South Wales.
01:05We're starting here at Pembroke Power Station, one of the UK's largest combined cycle gas turbine stations,
01:12converting potentially two of the machines behind me to post-combustion carbon capture by the early 2030s.
01:19That achieves significant CO2 savings, maybe 2 million tonnes a year of South Wales' emissions removed by the early 2030s
01:26and the potential to do the same to the other machines, reaching maybe 5 million tonnes a year.
01:32There is a clear path through to renewables, but we've got to be able to fill in the space before that,
01:37decarbonising this local industry and protecting jobs for the communities where we're part of.
01:44The gaseous CO2 that we capture at Pembroke will be transported via a pipeline we're developing under Milford Haven
01:52to Dragon LNG, where it will be liquefied and then loaded onto ships,
01:56where it will be transported by sea to dedicated CO2 stores, probably in the North Sea,
02:02where it will be stored securely and permanently under the seabed.
02:06The project will bring high numbers of construction jobs into the area during the build
02:10and then beyond that, securing the jobs of high-skilled, well-paid industries for short-term and for future generations.
02:18It is hoped that the project will lead to more apprenticeships for the young people of Pembrokeshire.
02:23We've got close links with the local Pembrokeshire College and they are currently running different courses there
02:28to help support us in our journey with the decarbonisation.
02:33Future decarbonisation projects are absolutely fundamental to my future and the future of my children.
02:40I want there to be opportunities for them to have green jobs as well as live in the area
02:46where there's a reduction in CO2 locally because of all the green initiatives.
02:52Having the opportunity to work at such a site here in Wales and Pembrokeshire is a massive privilege.
02:57A lot of the people work in local industries associated with fossil fuels
03:01and this will give them an opportunity to transition to a greener future,
03:04upskilling and transitioning to decarbonisation technologies as they emerge.
03:10We are essentially at a crossroads now.
03:13We need to decide and make a move towards decarbonisation and that is something that aligns with my values.
03:19We are proud of what we do.
03:21Being able to capture the carbon that we would otherwise emit into the atmosphere is key
03:26and we should be proud to work for an organisation that's championing this alongside our partners at RWE.
03:31The UK government and RWE actually are committing to building renewable power at pace.
03:37But nevertheless, on days when there's no wind or days of high demand, cold winter nights,
03:42the UK still needs energy independence and security of supply.
03:47Power that we can call on, that's reliable and will come on at the point of need.
03:51The challenge is to decarbonise that option.
03:54We do understand that the UK government is currently assessing the affordability and pace of decarbonisation.
04:01Our ask is actually much simpler than that.
04:03The objective now is to get the project partners across the CO2 value chain moving again.
04:08What that means really is a clear signal on eligibility, shortlisting as a project that they will commit to in the future,
04:16indication of timing and perhaps best, continued funding for our engineering studies.
04:21Such that when the UK government commits to the project, we can hit the ground running,
04:25potentially saving years off the operational date.
04:28And that's millions of tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere saved,
04:31and that's an investment in engineering design now that more than pays back when we go operational.
04:37Milford Haven CO2 is a critical carbon capture and shipping project for Wales and the United Kingdom,
04:44keeping our industries turning in a net zero world.
04:51www.milfordhaven.co.uk