Yorkshire and Humber is home to some of the country's largest power plants, and has long held a reputation as the powerhouse of the UK.

The region has a unique opportunity to become a UK - and global leader - in tackling climate change. Up to 60 million tonnes of the carbon emissions produced each year by burning fossil fuels could be liquefied then pumped out to depleted gas fields under the North Sea.

Led by Yorkshire Forward and some of the UK's largest energy and industrial companies, including Corus, Scottish and Southern Energy, Powerfuel Power Ltd, BP, ConocoPhillips, E.ON UK and Drax Power Ltd and AMEC, who also produced the study, showing how a unique Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) network for the region could be developed, was released today.

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Head of Sustainable Development at Yorkshire Forward, Mike Smith, believes that Yorkshire and Humber's unique geography and experience of dealing with the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels makes the region an ideal candidate location to develop CCS.

He explains: "Climate change is real and is affecting businesses and communities all over the world, so it is vital that we develop new approaches to help us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"But it is equally important that we are realistic and the fact is that Yorkshire and Humber produces a huge amount of carbon emissions each year – largely from the energy intensive industry that helps keeps the lights on all over the country.

"We can't stop using fossil fuels all together, but what we can look to do is develop the assets that already exist and new infrastructure to bury carbon dioxide deep under the sea where it can't escape into the atmosphere."

The study shows how a network could evolve using existing and new infrastructure in the region to connect major producers of carbon emissions. These emissions would then be liquefied and pumped out to depleted gas fields in the southern North Sea - where the properties of the rock deep under the sea would prevent the carbon dioxide from escaping.

Costs for the network are predicted to be in excess of £2 billion at today’s prices and would take 20 years to develop fully. However, the potential impact on the UK's carbon footprint is huge.

(JM/CD)