Atkins to support Teesside power station development

Innovative energy project Whitetail Clean Energy has appointed consultants from Atkins to support its development and implementation. The professional services firm will eventually monitor, supervise and manage the construction and commissioning phase of a proposed power station on Teesside.

One of the first projects of its kind in the world, Whitetail Clean Energy will be based at Wilton International, Teesside, and will generate approximately 300MW of clean power. As well as producing energy whenever needed, the station aims to  capture its CO2 for sequestration, making it a net zero emissions plant – something which will help it operate at competitive cost and efficiency compared to traditional gas power plants, while helping decarbonise the local economy.

Behind the project are US clean energy innovation firm 8 Rivers Capital, acting through its UK affiliate, Zero Degrees Whitetail Development, and Sembcorp Energy UK (SEUK), along with NET Power. As the group looks to develop the UK’s first net zero emissions power station, it has announced that Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, as the project aims to be operational as soon as 2025.

For the contract, Atkins will support Whitetail as the Owner’s Engineer through the design phases to financial close. Atkins will also provide an on-site presence to monitor, supervise and manage the construction and commissioning phase. Whitetail is expected to utilise the NET Power technology, which combusts natural gas with oxygen, rather than air, and uses supercritical CO2 as a working fluid to drive a turbine instead of steam. As a result, near all air emissions, including traditional pollutants and CO2, are eliminated and pipeline quality CO2 is produced so that it can be captured and stored offshore.

Cam Hosie, Chief Executive of 8 Rivers Capital, said, “The appointment of Atkins to the Owner’s Engineer role represents another key step towards Whitetail becoming a reality and clearly marks the start of an acceleration in the deployment of NET Power plants in the United Kingdom. We are delighted that Atkins will be working with us on this innovative infrastructure project of national significance.”

The proposed location at Sembcorp Energy UK’s site, at Wilton International, already offers convenient port and pipeline access, meaning that all Whitetail’s captured CO2 can be easily transported to UK sequestration sites. 8 Rivers Capital completed a Pre-FEED study for UK deployments of the NET Power technology earlier this year with funding from the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Whitetail will also be involved in the investment into a number of objectives of the UK Government’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution. It is subsequently expected to bring inward investment into the clean power sector supporting over 2,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, including cascading supply chain opportunities during the construction phase of the project.

Chris Ball, Managing Director – Nuclear and Power, Atkins EMEA, added, “With a long-standing history in the region, this project will bring together our local expertise with a global capability in sustainable best practice to deliver Engineering Net Zero. We look forward to working closely with Whitetail Clean Energy to support the development of this new innovative technology and deliver a route to clean and affordable power for the Teesside region.”