News and Views

The Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has given its backing for Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ), a major carbon capture storage facility redeploying depleted gas fields in Morecambe Bay. The project, which is being put forward by Spirit Energy, will place an emphasis on investment, green skills, jobs and make an important contribution to the UK’s net zero ambition.

Lord Inglewood, Chair of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) heralded the project’s potential at a House of Lords reception he hosted this week - highlighting the immense opportunity the project presents to be one of the biggest carbon storage and hydrogen production clusters in the UK. He was joined by speakers Neil McCulloch, Chief Executive of Spirit Energy and Simon Fell, MP for Barrow.

It’s projected that the cluster could have the capacity to store up to one gigaton of COâ‚‚ - equal to roughly three years’ worth of COâ‚‚ at the UK’s current emissions rate. Attendees heard that its location close to the Port of Barrow would mean that tankers would be able to ship COâ‚‚ from industry in South Wales, the Solent and other areas of the UK to the storage facility in Morecambe Bay. This is likely to be particularly attractive to industrial sites that do not have a direct connection to a COâ‚‚ pipeline, providing them with an effective and efficient solution to dealing with their carbon emissions and meeting decarbonisation commitments.

The hub location in an area with a diverse mix of energy producers means that there are several adjacent opportunities related to hydrogen, which are being explored.

Lord Inglewood, Chair of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said:

“The event highlighted what an exceptional opportunity this is for Cumbria, from job opportunities to attracting private investment, Morecambe has massive potential to deliver on both the region’s and the UK’s net zero ambitions.

“It is great to see a project of this scale being developed in Barrow. Cumbria is already a powerhouse for clean energy generation, creating almost 6% of the UK’s output. This initiative from Spirit Energy could help further our reputation as a pioneer when it comes to the transition to net zero, by helping decarbonise our vital industries. This is an example of innovation in action, a plan to provide real solutions to industries that are looking at tackling emissions.

“We very much look forward to supporting Spirit Energy, as we work together to align regional ambitions and create an investible and sustainable net zero cluster.”

Neil McCulloch, Chief Executive of Spirit Energy said:

"It was a pleasure to attend the MNZ Cluster reception on Tuesday, hosted by Lord Inglewood and the Cumbria LEP. We are proud to be leading the effort to repurpose the Morecambe Bay gas fields into a world-leading carbon storage facility and securing its long-term future for decades to come. We are currently at a pivotal stage of the project, as we look to participate in the Government’s competitive process for cluster selection. To this end, we meet all of the criteria set out by the Government, and have a project plan that will deliver growth, jobs and decarbonisation across the UK, North West and Cumbria.”

It is estimated that purposing the gas fields will create at least 6,400 new, highly skilled green jobs, which will provide a vital, long-term boost to communities across Cumbria and the whole of the North West, promoting growth and further investment across the region.

(Left photo: Lord Inglewood, Chair of Cumbria LEP).
(Right right: Jo Lappin, Chief Executive at Cumbria LEP, Simon Fell MP and Neil McCulloch, Chief Executive at Spirit Energy).