Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a technology designed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial processes and energy generation. It captures CO₂ before it enters the atmosphere, compresses it, and transports it to a secure location for permanent storage, often deep underground.

A carbon capture and shipping hub is a port terminal facility that receives captured CO₂ from nearby industrial plants. The CO₂ is then compressed and stored temporarily before being loaded onto ships for transport to offshore storage sites. The Hub acts as a critical hub in the carbon capture process, ensuring safe receipt, efficient handling and loading for the onward transportation of the CO₂

By enabling the capture, transport and long term storage of CO₂ emissions from industries, the Hub will help significantly reduce the UK’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. This is a crucial component of the UK’s net-zero strategy, complementing other efforts such as renewable energy deployment, fossil fuel switching and energy efficiency improvements.

The UK Climate Change Committee considers carbon capture is essential for the UK’s goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It is a core part of the UK’s pathway to reducing emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as heavy industry, energy from waste facilities and cement manufacturing.

Certain industries, particularly those with high-temperature processes or chemical reactions, have process emissions that cannot be fully abated by fuel switching. These include:

• Cement production: The chemical process of calcination in cement production releases CO₂ as a byproduct.

• Energy from Waste: Waste incineration and energy generation enables the diversion of waste from landfill, supporting a nationwide circular economy. However, incineration results in process based CO₂ emissions that cannot be abated by fuel switching

• Steel manufacturing: The reduction of iron ore in blast furnaces emits CO₂, and even low-carbon energy sources cannot eliminate these emissions entirely.

• Chemical industries: Production of ammonia, petrochemicals, and hydrogen also generate emissions through chemical reactions.

Yes, CCS can play a crucial role in helping the U.K. meet its clean power and energy security goals by:

• Decarbonizing power generation from natural gas and biomass plants through CCS, ensuring that dispatchable, low-carbon power remains available alongside intermittent renewable energy sources.

• Reducing dependency on imported energy, as CCS can be integrated into the U.K.’s own energy infrastructure, ensuring energy supply security while lowering emissions.

CCS provides a pathway to decarbonize fossil fuel or waste-based power, ensuring grid reliability while advancing towards net-zero emissions.

Yes, carbon capture and shipping can:

• Support the decarbonisation of key regional industries, which are not located next to a pipeline or CO2 store, protecting jobs and maintaining the competitiveness of relevant sectors.

• Create new jobs in the construction, operation, and maintenance of CCS infrastructure across the value chain.

• Enable and support a regional low-carbon economy, attracting investment in green technologies and industries.

• Enable the UK to import CO2 from other countries for storage, taking advantage of its natural geological strengths.

• Position the U.K. as a global leader in CCS expertise, with the potential to export technology and services internationally.

The captured CO₂ will be transported to offshore storage sites in the UK’s North Sea. These sites are carefully selected based on geological conditions, ensuring the long-term safety and security of the stored CO₂.

The U.K. is estimated to have vast geological storage potential, primarily in depleted oil and gas fields and saline aquifers beneath the North Sea. According to estimates, the U.K. has around 78 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO₂ storage capacity, which is more than sufficient to store the country’s captured emissions for centuries and supports large-scale CCS deployment.

The Hub will likely initially be designed to 2-4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, with plans for future expansion based on demand and regulatory approvals. It can service multiple industrial and power facilities, providing a scalable solution for carbon capture in the region.

Carbon capture and storage is a well-established technology and the subject of many years of research.

CO2 is neither flammable or toxic, It is heavier than air and can cause asphyxiation if released at high quantities and in high concentration.

Hazards associated with CO2 in gas phase and high-pressure dense phase liquid CO2 are well understood however, as they are commonly managed today, for example, in industrial, food and beverage applications

CO₂ storage sites are carefully selected for their ability to securely contain CO₂ over the long term, typically in geological formations thousands of meters below the surface. Ongoing monitoring will ensure that stored CO₂ remains safely contained.

Once captured by industry, CO₂ can be transported via pipelines, rail or road depending on the location of the storage site. In the case of our Hub, CO₂ from very near emitters will be transported by pipe to the hub, while CO₂ from more remote industrial sites will be transported via rail, using existing rail infrastructure.

Estimated losses, reflecting average capture efficiency rates, venting and energy used in processing, possible value chain downtime and energy used in transport to store (assuming the transport uses conventional fuel) are estimated at c.10% meaning a net emission reduction of c.90%.

For an energy from waste facility processing 500,000t waste p.a. this equates to a reduction of c.450,000 T CO2 p.a., equivalent to the emissions of c.100,000 average households.

Energy from waste sites also process biogenic waste, meaning when this is captured and stored, this is considered a carbon removal (the ‘net’ in net zero).

Capturing CO2 from energy from waste sites includes the capture of biogenic CO2 – CO2 that originates from organic matter and is part of the natural carbon cycle.

7CO2 and its partners are exploring the feasibility of using of some of this biogenic CO2 in combination with green hydrogen, to produce sustainable fuels to support the decarbonisation of key transport industries such as maritime and aviation.

Yes, the development and operation of the carbon capture and shipping Hub will create numerous jobs, including construction, operations, engineering, and maintenance roles. Additionally, it supports a growing green economy in the UK, positioning the region as a leader in sustainable technologies.

As its primary purpose, the hub will enable the reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

The Hub will be based at an existing brownfield site at Avonmouth Docks and will utilise existing pipeline and rail infrastructure and easements to aim to minimise ecological impact.

The hub is exploring the use of recycled waste water and is committed to using local suppliers and materials, applying circular economy principles.

A full environmental assessment will be undertaken as part of the Hub’s further development. Strict environmental regulations will ensure that the Hub operates in a sustainable and responsible manner.

The Hub aims to bring economic benefits to the local community through job creation and investment. It also aims to bring environmental and health benefits, by reducing the CO2 emissions in the local area and improving air quality.

We will engage with local stakeholders to address any questions, assess ongoing impacts, maximise benefits, mitigate any disruption and ensure that the community remains informed throughout the Hub’s development and operation.

7CO2 is a UK company established in 2022 by its founders, Paul Davies and Keith Birch, to enable access to CCS by regional emitters in the South West of England and Wales.

It is currently independently owned and funded by a combination of private capital and grant funding from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero / Innovate UK.

The Hub is already working with key regional businesses at the portside including Viridor, Suez, Seabank Power Station, as well as dispersed industrial cement manufacturing, energy from waste sites in the South West and Wales, which are within reach of the hub by rail.

7CO2 is also partnered with the Bristol Port Company, a major CO2 store and the public and private partners of the West of England Industrial Cluster which is creating a local industrial decarbonisation plan.

Businesses in industries in sectors such as power generation, chemicals, cement, and steel production with significant CO2 emissions can request to participate and explore capturing their CO₂ and sending them to the Hub for transportation and storage.

Contact us to learn more about how your business can reduce its carbon emissions through our Hub.

The Hub is currently in the development phase and has completed a concept study, and targeted pre-feasibility studies.  Further feasibility and front end engineering and design studies will be undertaken in the coming years, before construction commences. Full operations are projected to start by 2029/30, with ongoing expansion and capacity increases planned based on industry needs and regulatory approvals.

You can stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media. We also host regular community meetings and public consultations to keep stakeholders informed about the Hub’s development.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us.