A NEW carbon-capture project has been green-lit in Great Sankey, with developers saying it 'is an exciting start.'

The project is being driven forward by Severn Wye Energy Agency and Pure Leapfrog, and is being hosted at United Utilities' Great Sankey headquarters.

Named Mersey Biochar, it will lock away thousands of tonnes of carbon a year into biochar, a versatile product with a range of uses from improving soil quality to decarbonising the construction industry.

Warrington Guardian: The project will see biochar produced in order to help capture carbon dioxideThe project will see biochar produced in order to help capture carbon dioxide (Image: Severn Wye)

Construction is due to begin in November, with the unit supplied by PyroCore and the facility built by energy specialists Vital Energi.

Projects such as these will be vital to ensuring the UK becomes carbon neutral by 2050, the developers say.

Severn Wye CEO Sandy Ruthven said: "Mersey Biochar represents an important step forward in the UK’s carbon-capture ambitions and getting planning permission for the Lingley Mere site is an exciting start.

"We hope to prove this technology can be used across the UK to help tackle climate change."

Vital Energi’s associate design manager, Rob Greenwood, added: "We are delighted to be part of the consortium which will deliver this innovative new project.

"With the UK set to continue using oil and gas in the short term, carbon capture has the potential to play a huge part in the UK’s transition from fossil fuels to a net zero economy and this project can demonstrate an innovative new application for an existing, trusted technology."

The facility is expected to produce 700 tonnes of biochar each year, which in turn can remove up to 2,520 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Research into the viability of the process was funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero which then made a further £5million available to scale up the concept as part of the Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage Scheme. 

Paul Gilligan, CEO of decarbonisation specialist partners Pure Leapfrog, said: "Receiving planning permission is a significant moment for this project.

"As we continue along our planned product development pathway, we will see this unit, and more like it in the future, making important contributions to the UK’s carbon capture and storage needs.

"This technology has an exciting and valuable future."

United Utilities’ bioresources and green energy director, Tom Lissett, concluded: "It is an important step forward for us in our journey to decarbonising our head office in Warrington."