Wales carbon capture: 800 jobs as HyNet task expands

A new power station at Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, will be added to a list of three schemes which are already classed as priority for a deal (Alamy/PA) PA Media

Expanding carbon capture and storage negotiations marks a "significant moment" for industry in Wales, Jo Stevens has said. The Welsh Secretary welcomed fresh negotiations to plug two more energy generation projects into the developing HyNet North West carbon capture network project.

The scheme will see emissions captured and permanently locked away. A new power station at Connah's Quay, Flintshire, will be added to a list of three schemes which are already classed as priority for a deal.

Power station to supply 900,000 homes

The power station at peak output is expected to produce enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 900,000 homes. The Ince Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (InBECCS) project in Cheshire, England, will also be prioritised, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The InBECCS project is designed to use waste wood to generate low-carbon energy. "This is another significant moment for the growing clean energy industry in Wales," Stevens said.

Hundreds of new jobs expected

"It's fantastic to see North Wales at the forefront of the carbon capture industry and the hundreds of new jobs being created by the HyNet project will help drive regional growth as well as accelerating our drive towards lower bills and energy security," she added. The Government expects these projects will secure an additional 800 jobs in North Wales and north-west England.

Industry minister Sarah Jones said: "We are securing the jobs of the future, the power for our homes and the protection of our planet by becoming world leaders on carbon capture and storage."

(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.