New green technology could create thousands of jobs across Yorkshire, Humber and the Tees valley

Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) could create thousands of jobs across Yorkshire, the Humber and the Tees Valley, the TUC and Carbon Capture Storage Association (CCSA) will say at a regional CCS event in Leeds later today (Friday).

The TUC and CCSA will argue that the concentration of coal and gas-fired power stations, energy intensive industries and proximity to a significant carbon dioxide storage capacity located deep under the North Sea makes the area well placed to benefit from CCS technology. CCS would enable both power stations and heavy industry to reduce their carbon emissions and could also help maintain the UK’s coal industry.

A report published by the TUC and CCSA earlier this year showed that CCS technology could create 6,000 jobs across Yorkshire – adding £245m to the regional economy – as well as help to secure the future of jobs in energy intensive industries such as the Tata steel works in Scunthorpe. The long-term economic benefits to the region could be as high as £26bn by 2050.

The report also shows that a CCS project in the Tees Valley could create over 1,000 jobs and secure the future of many thousands more – especially the 30,000 manufacturing jobs across the region.

TUC Assistant General Secretary Paul Nowak, who is speaking at the event, said: “CCS technology can reduce our carbon emissions, bring down energy bills and create thousands of high quality, skilled jobs across Yorkshire, the Humber and the Tees Valley.

“This is exactly the kind of technology needed to rebalance our economy and generate strong and sustainable growth outside London and the South East.

“Despite the clear benefits of CCS technology, it has yet to be fully embraced by the government. It’s important that unions, industry and local business champions work together to persuade ministers to get these CCS projects off the ground and helping industry before it’s too late.”

Chief Executive of the CCSA Dr Luke Warren said: “The UK is very fortunate in that we have some of the best regions in the world to develop CCS – including Yorkshire, the Humber and Teesside. We are already forging ahead with the White Rose project in Yorkshire as well as the Peterhead project in Scotland and plans are advancing to develop an industrial CCS hub in Teesside – providing the only option to significantly reduce the region’s industrial emissions.

“It is now vital that the government puts in place an enduring policy to bring forward additional power and industrial CCS projects in these regions and across the UK, if we are to maximise the opportunity to create an industry that could deliver potentially 10,000s of jobs and tens of billions of pounds by 2030.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The joint TUC-CCSA event is taking place between 11am and 3.30pm at Leeds Town Hall. If you’d like to attend please contact the TUC press office. Speakers at the event include Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber Linda McAvan, CCSA Chief Executive Luke Warren, TUC Assistant General Secretary Paul Nowak, Power Production Director at Drax & Director, Capture Power Ltd Peter Emery and Sarah Tennison at Tees Valley Unlimited.
- The TUC and the CCSA published a joint report The Economic Benefits of CCS in the UK in February. This is a summary of a longer study entitled A UK Vision for Carbon Capture and Storage. Both the summary report and the longer study can be found at www.ccsassociation.org/press-centre/reports-and-publications  and www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/UKVisionforCCS.doc.
- The joint TUC/CCSA report includes the key conclusion that a roll-out of CCS technology is vital in helping the UK meet its statutory target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. It could also reduce wholesale electricity prices by 15 per cent compared to the cost of decarbonising the economy without CCS – leading to an average cut in household bills of £82 a year.
- The Carbon Capture and Storage Association exists to represent the interests of its members in promoting the business of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The Association works to raise awareness, both in the UK and internationally, of the benefits of CCS as a viable climate change mitigation option, and the role of CCS in moving towards a low-carbon global economy.
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews
- Congress 2014 will be held at the BT Convention Centre, Liverpool, from
Sunday 7 September to Wednesday 10 September. Free media passes can be obtained by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/media-credentials and completing an online form. Applications must be in by noon on Wednesday 27 August. Any received later than that will be processed in Liverpool and will cost £75.

Contacts:
Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen   T: 020 7467 1248    M: 07778 158175    E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth    T: 020 7467 1372    M: 07717 531150     E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Tim Nichols   T: 020 7467 1337   M: 07808 761844   E: tnichols@tuc.org.uk
Judith Shapiro   T: 020 3031 8750    E: judith.shapiro@ccsassociation.org