The UK carbon capture investment strategy is gaining serious momentum, with the government allocating £9.4 billion to major projects like Viking and Acorn. These developments are designed to accelerate the country’s journey toward net-zero emissions while generating tens of thousands of clean energy jobs.
Featured in the latest spending review, major initiatives like the Viking Project in Humberside and the Acorn Project in Aberdeenshire are central to this funding wave. These efforts are expected to create tens of thousands of jobs and reduce the UK’s carbon footprint significantly.
This commitment follows last year’s broader announcement of up to £21.7 billion for CCUS over the next 25 years. Initial focus areas include HyNet in the North West and the East Coast Cluster on Teesside, which together are projected to generate 4,000 direct jobs and support 50,000 roles across the UK.
The current funding release covers early-stage investment for Track-1 projects and preparatory funds for Track-2 projects. £200 million is earmarked—pending final business approval—for the development of Acorn and Viking.
Additional investment will support the National Gas SCO₂T Connect project, which aims to repurpose 175 miles of existing pipeline and add 35 miles of new infrastructure to transport captured CO₂ from Grangemouth to secure offshore storage beneath the North Sea.
Once operational, the Acorn project is projected to support 15,000 jobs at peak construction, with Viking expected to create 20,000 jobs, including around 1,000 apprenticeships.
“This milestone investment commitment will set the UK on a path to be a genuine world leader in carbon capture and storage,” said Jon Butterworth, CEO of National Gas. “It’s key to securing Britain’s energy future, decarbonising the economy, and creating high-quality jobs.”
This announcement adds to a string of recent clean energy investments by the UK government, including:
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£14.2 billion for the Sizewell C nuclear plant,
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£2.5 billion for the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program,
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£2.5 billion for STEP — the world’s first prototype fusion power plant, expected to bring 10,000+ jobs to the West Burton A site.
Final investment decisions for the Acorn and Viking carbon capture projects will follow, depending on readiness and funding capacity.