Italian multinational energy firm Eni has selected ABB as the main automation contractor for the HyNet North West carbon capture and storage (CCS) industrial decarbonization project in the United Kingdom.
Swiss-based ABB will deploy its Ability System 800xA integrated control and safety system to manage automation, telecom and cybersecurity layers for the CCS project. The HyNet effort calls for collecting carbon dioxide emissions from UK industrial clusters, transporting and then storing it to four depleted gas fields in the Irish Sea off the coast of Liverpool.
“CCS has an important role to play within the current energy transition but navigating the complexities of operating an industrial cluster is highly technical and challenging,” said Per Erik Holsten, president of ABB Energy Industries, in a statement. “We are proud to support Eni on the exciting HyNet project by applying our integrated automation technology to accelerate decarbonization in the UK and enable industries to outrun, leaner and cleaner.”
The project aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 10 million tons a year by 2030, equivalent to removing four million cars from the road and a quarter of the CO2 emitted currently across the region.
“The HyNet project is clear evidence of how business and government can combine to implement pragmatic and effective industrial policies to accelerate the energy transition,” said Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni who is leading the multi-partner consortium. “ABB’s automation expertise will be invaluable in providing an integrated and end-to-end common control solution spanning all main EPC providers involved in HyNet.”
The UK Government has announced about $29 billion of funding for two industrial cluster projects over the next 25 years. The projects are not only expected to decarbonize industry but also make the UK a competitive global market for CCS as well as support 50,000 jobs.
The partners participating in the HyNet project include Eni, EET, Progressive Energy, Cadent, Heidelberg Materials, Viridor, Uniper, Cargill, Engie, and Pilkington.
The HyNet North West project also includes plans to develop carbon-free hydrogen production, led by EET. Cadent would develop the hydrogen pipeline to supply H2 to industries in the region.
