Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
John Whitby
Main Page: John Whitby (Labour - Derbyshire Dales)Department Debates - View all John Whitby's debates with the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
(1 week, 1 day ago)
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Michael Shanks
As I have said before from the Dispatch Box, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on live applications for obvious reasons. We look at every single application on its merits; even though we have ambitions for where we want to get to, individual planning applications are considered on the individual merits on which they are presented.
John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)
Peak Cluster in the Hope valley is a cement decarbonisation project looking to prevent 3 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear route to market for industrial carbon capture projects beyond track 1 and track 2 clusters, which would offer projects like Peak Cluster greater certainty?
Michael Shanks
We see carbon capture as a hugely important part of how we decarbonise, and we have supported clusters already. We are looking at what a future model could look like; equally, we need to see other projects coming forward on commercial terms to ensure that they are viable. I continue to meet with all the clusters, and I chair the CCUS taskforce to ensure that we are doing as much as we can.