United Utilities’ plans for a carbon capture facility in Warrington have been given the green light, with work to begin on the Mersey Biochar scheme in November.
The site is designed to lock away thousands of tonnes of carbon each year as biochar, which can be repurposed to improve soil quality and reduce irrigation and fertilizer.
The scheme is core to UU’s net zero plans by 2050 while adding to the country’s carbon capture potential.
The project will capture carbon from green waste or biomass from forestry management that would otherwise release its carbon back into the atmosphere during decomposition.
The carbon is heated to biochar via pyrolysis, a process which locks the carbon in for centuries.
Each tonne of biochar produced can remove up to 3.6 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere.
UU’s new facility is expected to produce 700 tonnes of biochar each year, while heat generated at the site will be used to power UU’s offices in Warrington.
Work on the site is due to start next month for a trial to prove the technology can be scaled up as a tool to decarbonise.
The project is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through its direct air capture and greenhouse gas removal innovation scheme.
For 2025-30, the company will dedicate £196 million to decarbonise with an emphasis on low regret actions within its £13.7 billion investment strategy for PR24. It intends to go beyond the accepted industry public interest commitment for net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and aligned to national targets for 2050.