WSP reappointed by Government to advise on CCUS

Leading multi-disciplinary professional services consultancy WSP has been reappointed by the UK Government to advise on the delivery of its Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) programme.

The firm has been selected by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to continue the technical advisory role it was originally appointed to in 2020 by the as-was Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

WSP will lead a team of delivery partners comprising Crondall Energy, GeoEnergy Durham, TUV SUD, Acrometis, Tetra Tech / RPS, Arup, Jacobs and Mott MacDonald.  

The delivery partner team has been extended for this next contract term to provide the necessary additional depth of resource to support the planned scale up in activity for the CCUS programme.  

CCUS technology formed a core part of the Government’s ‘Powering Up Britain’ energy security plan which was unveiled in April by Secretary of State Rt Hon Grant Shapps.

CCUS will form a key element of the UK’s commitment to deliver a net zero economy by 2050, and this programme will enable the continued development and scaling of the industry at pace and with international impact. 

Dominic Cook, technical director, energy transition and project director at WSP, said: “Supporting the development of the CCUS industry to this point has been fantastic and we’re excited to be supporting the Government to achieve the targets set for this new technology.

“There isn’t one single technology or solution which will deliver net zero in the UK by 2050.

"A portfolio approach is needed with CCUS as a key enabler. We need to explore and deploy all viable options to remove carbon from our economy and mitigate the impacts of climate change.”

Mark Naysmith, CEO, WSP UK and EMEA, said: “WSP’s global expertise in this critical area is second to none, where we learn and share best practice through our partnerships with public and private sector organisations, which will help deliver the transformative infrastructure the UK’s energy transition requires.

“I’m delighted WSP has been reappointed to the UK Government’s CCUS programme to continue this important work.”

Anna-Louise Peters, energy managing director of Crondall, said: “Crondall Energy is delighted to be reappointed as a partner to WSP in this project and to be helping to deliver a CCUS programme that will contribute to a net zero future for the country. 

"With decades of experience in subsea architecture, flow assurance and pipeline and facilities engineering, Crondall Energy is looking forward to continuing to support the UK government with providing project solutions to the challenges of carbon capture, utilisation and storage”.

Jon Gluyas, GeoEnergy Durham chairman added: “GED are delighted to partner WSP and others again to further support deployment of the new carbon capture and storage projects in the UK, an important step in reaching net zero by 2050. 

"As a university spin-out company, our track record on subsurface geoscience and engineering has been built upon the research outputs from Durham Energy Institute, translating scientific findings into value and impact for the UK and beyond as we all strive to deliver sustainable, secure and affordable energy transition.”

Martin Hanton, green energy and sustainability director, TÜV SÜD, said: “TÜV SÜD are very pleased to be partnering once again with WSP and others to enter this second phase of support for regulatory development for the CCUS sector, given how essential this is to the UK’s net zero target.

"In our role as the UK’s Designated Institute for Flow Measurement, part of the National Measurement System, our work will help ensure accurate measurement through the CCUS ecosystem, for both financial purposes and carbon accounting.”

Iain Shaw, managing director of Acrometis, said: “Acrometis is excited to be part of this important project, bringing our expertise to support WSP and the UK Government in the development of the UK CCUS industry.”

Rukhsana Faiz, director – sustainability, energy and utilities at Tetra Tech, said: “Tetra Tech looks forward to the continued collaboration with our industry peers as a delivery partner for the CCUS programme.

"Using Tetra Tech’s Leading with Science® approach we’re proud to say that our industry experts will be involved through the whole carbon capture value chain from emerging capture technologies to subsurface storage, ultimately helping the UK meet its 2050 commitments.”

Charles Pybus, director, business and investor advisory at Arup, added: “Arup are excited to work alongside WSP and our delivery partners to help deliver CCUS in the UK. Collaboration between the industries, and through partnerships like this, will be key to meet Net Zero.”

Kate Kenny, senior vice president, people and places solutions at Jacobs, said: “Our collective climate response requires a diverse mix of decarbonisation, energy transition and holistic cross-market solutions to meet net-zero ambitions and deliver reliable, affordable and resilient systems that will benefit the U.K. for generations to come. 

“We look forward to working with UK Government, WSP and partners, bringing our deep technical, commercial and strategic experience across CCUS projects, major infrastructure programmes and whole energy systems to support this significant programme towards net zero.”

Adina Popa, programme director innovation and CCUS at Mott MacDonald, added: “I’m delighted that our consortium has been selected to deliver this critically important programme.

"Building on our experience gained from Demo 1 and Demo 2 CCS competitions in the UK, and our work in Europe, SE Asia, and USA, Mott MacDonald’s team combines private sector technical knowledge and world-class government advisory expertise.

"We look forward to continuing to work with DESNZ to find solutions to the ambitious challenges posed by the energy transition to a low-carbon economy and to helping the UK achieve its net-zero targets."

She added the programme wiould "enable us to remain at the forefront of industrial decarbonisation efforts for years to come" while helping the UK government to become a global leader in CCS, and to build back better, greener, and faster.