Public engagement programme launched for new low carbon power station project at Uniper’s Connah’s Quay site

Plans are being developed by Uniper for a new low carbon combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station at its Connah’s Quay site. The new power station, Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power, will be fitted with carbon capture technology to capture CO₂ emissions. The proposed power station would connect into nearby CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure as part of the HyNet industrial cluster, enabling the captured CO₂ to be transported to permanent offshore storage facilities in repurposed depleted offshore gas fields.

Uniper will be inviting local residents, councils and other organisations to attend public information events about the project. These events will give local people the opportunity to understand more about our plans and to meet the project team - details are included below. A detailed planning application is then due to be submitted later this year.

Dedicated to accelerating the energy transition, Uniper aims for its installed power generating capacity to be more than 80% zero-carbon by 2030, whilst at the same time meeting the challenge of a reliable decarbonised electricity supply. And we are investing, both to decarbonise our existing power stations and to develop new, flexible low-carbon generation capability.

As we become more reliant on electricity, with the electrification of sectors such as transport, heating and industry, more generation capacity will be needed. According to the UK’s independent advisor on climate change, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), demand for electricity is forecast to increase by 50% by 2035. To meet this increasing demand and achieve the UK’s decarbonisation goals, a range of different technologies with both renewables and decarbonised flexible generation, such as gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), will be needed to maintain a secure and stable supply of electricity.

The proposed new power station with carbon capture technology at Connah's Quay is an important part of addressing that challenge. If consented and developed, the project would bolster energy security by providing flexible electricity generation and ensuring a reliable supply to the electricity grid, as and when needed.

Uniper’s plans are for a potential capacity of up to 1.1GW of low-carbon power, developed in two phases each of 550MW. From completion of phase one, the project could supply enough electricity to power the equivalent of up to 1.4 million homes a year. Phase one could potentially be operational by 2030.

The Connah's Quay Low Carbon Power project will not only generate low carbon electricity but could also help to maintain economic prosperity in Deeside and across the region, and retain approximately 60 high-skilled jobs, as well as creating new opportunities during construction and through the wider supply chain.

Public Information Events

For more information about Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power, please visit the project website www.uniper.energy/connahs-quay-low-carbon-power

Notes to editors:

In its Balanced Pathway for the Sixth Carbon Budget (Dec 2020), the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) forecast a 50% increase in electricity demand by 2035 and a doubling in electricity demand by 2050 (Sixth Carbon Budget - Climate Change Committee (theccc.org.uk))

Source data for domestic (homes) electricity use: subnational_electricity_and_gas_consumption_summary_report_2021.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk))

The project is at an early stage and final capacity will be determined following completion of Front End Engineering Design (FEED) which is due to commence later in 2024. Uniper is working towards a development consisting of two phases, each of 550MW but this could be up to a maximum of two x 690MW, providing a maximum of 1.38GW of low carbon power in total.

About Uniper

Düsseldorf-based Uniper is an international energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. The company and its roughly 7,000 employees make an important contribution to supply security in Europe, particularly in its core markets of Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands. 

Uniper’s operations encompass power generation in Europe, global energy trading, and a broad gas portfolio. Uniper procures gas—including liquefied natural gas (LNG)—and other energy sources on global markets. The company owns and operates gas storage facilities with a total capacity of more than 7 billion cubic meters. 

Uniper intends to be completely carbon-neutral by 2040. Uniper aims for its installed power generating capacity to be more than 80% zero-carbon by 2030. To achieve this, the company is transforming its power plants and facilities and investing in flexible, dispatchable power generating units. Uniper is already one of Europe’s largest operators of hydropower plants and is helping further expand solar and wind power, which are essential for a more sustainable and secure future. The company is progressively expanding its gas portfolio to include green gases like hydrogen and biomethane and aims to convert to these gases over the long term. 

Uniper is a reliable partner for communities, municipal utilities, and industrial enterprises for planning and implementing innovative, lower-carbon solutions on their decarbonization journey. Uniper is a hydrogen pioneer, is active worldwide along the entire hydrogen value chain, and is conducting projects to make hydrogen a mainstay of the energy supply. 

About Uniper UK

In the UK, Uniper owns and operates a flexible generation portfolio of seven power stations, a fast-cycle gas storage facility and two high pressure gas pipelines, from Theddlethorpe to Killingholme and from Blyborough to Cottam. We also have significant long-term regasification capacity at the Grain LNG terminal in Kent, to convert LNG back to natural gas.