The engineering and energy advisory consultancy Apollo has been selected to conduct three critical studies worth £100k for the 7CO2 Carbon Capture and Shipping Hub. This initiative aims to facilitate local and regional decarbonisation across the Southwest and Midwest regions of the UK, and is expected to attract up to £4 billion of inward investment to the area.

The 7CO2 hub, strategically located in Avonmouth, Bristol, will provide a pathway for the permanent storage of post-combustion captured CO2, marking a significant step towards achieving the UK’s climate goals. Funded by 7CO2 and the UK Innovate Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan (LIDP) grant, Apollo’s studies will focus on rail, land, and power options. The studies will:

• Assess the feasibility of transporting CO2 by rail from regional emitters;
• Identify and evaluate land for industrial decarbonisation projects, such as clean power, hydrogen production, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production;
• Explore cost-effective power supply options, such as renewable generation and small modular nuclear reactors.

To ensure comprehensive and practical outcomes, Apollo will collaborate with key stakeholders and partners, including Suez, Viridor, SSE, EDF, Network Rail, National Grid, GB Rail Freight and others. Apollo believes its approach to these studies will provide a solid foundation for the 7CO2 hub, driving regional decarbonisation efforts and setting a precedent for future carbon capture projects in the UK.

The project provides an important addition to the UK industrial decarbonisation strategy for regions with no direct access to CO2 storage sites. For the 7CO2 project, the CO2 will be transported by ‘non-pipeline’ means, for storage in the North Sea, presumably in one or more of the East Coast Cluster, Viking/Acorn or Northern Lights storage projects.