RWE's Carbon Capture projects - Our decarbonisation journey

RWE has a clear objective: to be carbon-neutral by 2040. Decarbonisation and sustainability are therefore key components of RWE’s corporate strategy.

RWE currently operates approximately 7 GW of conventional, efficient gas-fired capacity in the UK. We believe this firm and flexible power remains an essential part of our country’s energy mix, now and in the future. We are considering carbon capture projects to provide a decarbonised future for a number of our existing gas-fired power stations, and a new-build carbon-capture enabled power station.

Our decarbonisation vision

Why gas is essential to the transition to net zero

RWE is the UK’s largest operator of efficient gas-fired power stations, with around 7GW of installed capacity, powering millions of UK homes.

Our gas fired power stations play a critical role in the UK’s energy system and are essential in the UK's transition to a decarbonised energy system. Efficient gas-fired power stations support the transition to renewables by providing a firm and flexible source of power all year round especially on days where sun and wind resources are lower. They work in partnership with renewables to ensure security of energy supply.

The role gas has played in the UK’s power system has evolved over time. As coal power stations have shut down, gas has played an increasingly central role, providing around 40% of the UK’s power in 2022 (UK energy brief) and up to 50% at certain times.

A power plant with four tall smokestacks is set against a green landscape, surrounded by fields and trees under a cloudy sky.

Click on the image to zoom

As the UK’s power system continues to transition towards a majority renewables mix, the role gas plays will also evolve, towards an increasingly supportive and complimentary role to clean energy generation. In the future, gas power will operate in partnership with renewables to ensure security of supply, including during periods of low renewable generation and periods of peak demand.

More information on RWE Generation UK

Decarbonising our fleet

The next few decades will be pivotal to changing the way we create and consume energy. RWE is working towards a target of carbon neutrality by 2040. Our decarbonisation programme is crucial to this achieving this target.

Over the next three years, we will be investing in carbon capture technology and hydrogen combustion projects, to assess how these cutting-edge technologies can decarbonise our gas-fired power stations. Our target is for the first of our fleet to be converted and running a decarbonised operation before 2030.

Two workers in safety gear walk through an industrial facility, surrounded by large pipes and machinery.

Click on the image to zoom

Our carbon capture technology plan

RWE is currently considering four potential carbon capture projects across the UK. We are looking at carbon capture technology as a viable way to decarbonise our gas plants which are located within the vicinity of proposed CO₂ networks or shipping facilities, where the CO₂ could be transferred to safe storage solutions.

RWE is currently progressing early development work and preparing information that will allow for existing plants at Staythorpe and Pembroke Pembroke and Great Yarmouth, and a new build Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power station (CCGT) near the Humber, to be submitted into the next stage of the Government’s Track-2 Phase-2 of the Cluster Sequencing for Carbon Capture Usage and Storage Deployment process.

Environmental studies and surveys needed to support the consenting process are already progressing.

Map of the UK highlighting RWE CCS projects, power stations, and biomass plants with capacity in MW and GW.

Click on the image to zoom

Together, these three projects would enable:

Approx. 00 GW

of secure, flexible, low carbon energy – enough to power around 8.1 million homes

00 Mt/year

of CO₂ capture, the equivalent of removing 2.2 million petrol cars from the road

00 +

Support and create 300+ high quality, long-term operational jobs and thousands of jobs during construction and in the supply chain

Carbon capture projects

Staythorpe Power Station carbon capture project
Staythorpe is a gas-fired combined cycle gas turbine power station that began commercial operation towards the end of 2010. We are now investigating options to apply carbon capture technology to Staythorpe power station to provide reliable, decarbonised electricity to the grid. We are working with Harbour Energy to explore options for transporting and storing the captured carbon through its Viking CCS network. This will allow a high percentage of the carbon that is emitted by the power station to be captured and stored safely to offset any emissions.

More information

Benefits of the carbon capture facility:

Up to 1.7 GW of decarbonised, secure, flexible energy - enough to power around 2.8 million homes*

4 Mt/year of CO₂ capture, the equivalent of removing 800,000 petrol cars from the road

Support 100+ high- quality, long-term, operational jobs and thousands of jobs during construction and in the supply chain

More about Staythorpe CCGT power plant
Pembroke Power Station carbon capture project
Power generation has taken place at RWE’s Pembroke site for 60 years. Originally the site was an oil fired power station, and in 2012 a state of the art combined cycle gas turbine station was built at an investment of over £1 billion. We are now investigating options to apply carbon capture technology to Pembroke power station. The project is a key part of the Pembroke Net Zero Centre (PNZC), RWE’s decarbonisation initiative in South Wales, and supports the broader decarbonisation of the region’s industry through its involvement in the South Wales Industrial Cluster. The PNZC has three key pillars of development, including the decarbonisation of Pembroke Power Station; hydrogen production and floating offshore wind development in the Celtic Sea.

Benefits of the carbon capture facility:

2.2 GW Up to 2.2 GW of decarbonised, secure, flexible energy - enough to power around 4.3 million homes*

5 Mt/year of CO₂ capture, the equivalent of removing 1 million petrol cars from the road

Support an additional 100+ high-quality, long-term, operational jobs and thousands of jobs during construction and in the supply chain

More about Pembroke CCGT power plant
Stallingborough Power Station carbon capture project
A new gas-fired power station with carbon capture technology is proposed to be located on RWE land adjacent to the Humber estuary near Stallingborough, North East Lincolnshire. By building a new carbon-capture enabled power station, we will help to deliver a stable, low carbon, supply of electricity to the grid during periods where renewable energy generation is low. It will also make a significant contribution to energy security and decarbonisation of the energy system in the UK. RWE has an established presence in the region with onshore and offshore wind farms, including the 1.4GW £3bn Sofia offshore wind project, currently in development in the North Sea. Our state-of-the-art operations and maintenance centre - Grimsby Hub - is also currently under construction. The Stallingborough project is well positioned alongside industries to support broader decarbonisation of the Humber Region. As with our Staythorpe carbon capture project, we are working with Harbour Energy to explore options for transporting and storing the captured carbon through its Viking CCS network.

Benefits of the carbon capture facility:

A gross output capacity of up to 900 megawatts (MWe) of decarbonised, secure, flexible energy – enough to power around 1 million homes*

Up to 2 million t/year of CO₂ capture, the equivalent of removing 400,000 petrol cars from the road

Support approximately 50 high-quality, long-term operational jobs and thousands of jobs during construction and in the supply chain

More information
Great Yarmouth Power Station

We are exploring the feasibility of adding CCS technology to the existing Great Yarmouth CCGT power station. Once fitted, it could produce enough low carbon electricity to power up to 820,000 homes. With its connection to regional gas infrastructure, the station is ideally located for future CCS developments.

* Calculated based on 2022 generation, and assuming average (mean) annual household consumption of 3,509kWh, based on 2021 statistics from The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

UK Government support for low carbon firm and flexible technologies

Carbon capture technology

To facilitate the decarbonisation of industry, including the power sector, the UK Government aims to have two carbon capture clusters operational by the mid-2020s and a further two operational clusters by the end of the decade.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is in the process of awarding contracts to CO₂ Transport and Storage companies and owners of energy and industrial sites to install carbon capture technology. Each of these companies will be responsible for the consenting, construction and operation of their CO₂ networks. The contract award competition is known as the cluster sequencing process.
Hydrogen

As part of its Energy Security Strategy launched in April 2022, the UK government set out its 10-point plan on how it will support the development of our domestic hydrogen sector. The strategy included launching Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, which is worth £240 million. Up to £100 million of the fund will support for the first electrolytic projects and the development of a carbon capture-enabled hydrogen business model.

How does carbon capture work?

An isometric illustration of land, water, and infrastructure, showcasing factories and a pipeline beneath the surface. — Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage | RWE

Carbon capture is a decarbonisation technology which captures the CO₂ emissions from a variety of fossil fuel combustion processes such as cement and steel production and power generation. A summary of the process is as follows:

CO₂ Emissions: Carbon dioxide emissions are produced during the generation of power a Combined-Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station.
Capture: CO₂ is captured from the flue gas using post-combustion capture technology. This typically involves the cooling of the flue gas which is then mixed with a amine based solvent which separates the CO₂ from the flue gas. The decarbonised flue gas is then emitted from the power station flue.
Transportation: The captured CO₂ is conditioned for removal from site, which is either via new pipelines or ships.
Utilisation: Where possible, captured CO₂ can be utilised in industrial and manufacturing processes, such as the production of beer
Storage: CO₂ is stored underground safely and securely within depleted gas and oil wells, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

RWE is a member of the CCS Association, the trade association promoting the commercial deployment of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage. To find out more about these processes and the technology behind them visit the website website.

RWE’s Carbon Capture Education Workbook

RWE Carbon Capture and Storage KS2 Workbook cover with industrial buildings, solar panels, and wind turbines. — RWE’s Carbon Capture Education Workbook

RWE has launched a Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Education Workbook, designed to spark curiosity in STEM subjects and equip young people with the knowledge to shape a decarbonised energy future.
Recently launched in Lincolnshire, It is envisioned that the programme will be rolled out to more schools across the UK. Download the workbook to learn more about RWE’s journey through CCS technology.

Download here

RWE’s Hydrogen ambitions

A graphic depicting the chemical symbol for hydrogen, H2, surrounded by molecular structures on a blue background. — Hydrogen | RWE

Hydrogen production facilities will require investment for construction and operation and to bridge the funding gap between this and existing use of natural gas.

We will apply for financial support from the UK Government’s Net Zero Hydrogen Fund to help with the costs of developing and implementing our green hydrogen projects.

Find out more about our UK Hydrogen ambitions and plans at our low carbon hub in South Wales Pembroke Net Zero Centre (PNZC) look here.

You might also be interested in

RWE Generation UK

Windmill Hill Business Park

Whitehill Way

SN5 6PB Swindon

United Kingdom

+44(0)1793-877777

Send email

RWE's Carbon Capture projects - Our decarbonisation journey

RWE’s journey to decarbonisation

Why gas is essential to the transition to net zero

Decarbonising our fleet

Our carbon capture technology plan

Together, these three projects would enable:

Carbon capture projects

Staythorpe Power Station carbon capture project

Benefits of the carbon capture facility:

Pembroke Power Station carbon capture project

Benefits of the carbon capture facility:

Stallingborough Power Station carbon capture project

Benefits of the carbon capture facility:

Great Yarmouth Power Station

UK Government support for low carbon firm and flexible technologies

Carbon capture technology

Hydrogen

How does carbon capture work?

RWE’s Carbon Capture Education Workbook

RWE’s Hydrogen ambitions

You might also be interested in

Innovation

RWE Generation UK

Pembroke Net Zero Centre - PNZC

RWE Generation UK

Recommend

RWE in the UK

You can also find us on ...

Talk to us