Business

Two north of England sites selected for multibillion-pound carbon capture plan

The UK government has selected two sites in the north of England to develop multibillion-pound carbon capture projects by the middle of the decade as part of its fast-track scheme to cut 20-30m tonnes of CO2 a year from heavy industry by 2030.

Ministers gave the green light to the East Coast Cluster, which plans to capture and store emissions produced across the Humber and Teesside, and the HyNet North West project in Liverpool Bay, which will also produce low carbon hydrogen from fossil gas.

The East Coast Cluster is backed by the oil companies BP and Equinor, together with the energy firms Drax and SSE, and hopes to cut up to 27m tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030. The HyNet project, backed by the Italian oil company Eni and Progressive Energy, plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 10m tonnes a year by the end of the decade.

The projects, which saw off competition from three rivals, are the first to move ahead with the government’s support since ministers scrapped a £1bn programme six years ago. If they can prove they offer energy billpayers good value for money then they will qualify for support through the new £1bn carbon capture fund.

Greg Hands, the energy minister, told parliament on Tuesday that carbon capture would be “essential to meeting our net zero ambitions” and would be “an exciting new industry to capture the carbon we continue to emit and revitalise the birthplaces of the first Industrial Revolution”.

He said the “new major infrastructure projects for a new sector of the economy” would be a “significant undertaking”, and that there were “significant risks” to delivering them by the mid-2020s.

The government has also earmarked a carbon capture cluster on the east coast of Scotland – that includes the Acorn carbon capture and storage project based north of Aberdeen – as a “reserve cluster” that will be eligible for the funds if one of the other projects fails.

The government vowed to bring forward two industrial carbon capture clusters by the mid-2020s, and four by 2030, to help capture the emissions produced by factories and chemical plants before storing the carbon away permanently where it cannot contribute to the heating of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Carbon capture is also expected to play a key role in producing “clean-burning” hydrogen from fossil gas. Hydrogen can be extracted from gas and burned without emissions by gas power plants, heavy industry or even in homes. But the process of producing hydrogen releases carbon emissions into the air unless it is captured at the source and stored.

The plans are part of a flurry of long-awaited green commitments from the government in the run-up to the Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow in the next two weeks. It has also put forward plans to help cut emissions from home heating alongside a wide-ranging plan to reach net zero across the economy.

Ruth Herbert, the chief executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, said the two frontrunner projects would “showcase the breadth of applications” for carbon capture, but urged the government to set out a clear plan for how the technology would be scaled up in coming decades to meet carbon targets.

“Ahead of next week’s spending review, we are calling for the government to introduce a delivery plan for carbon capture, utilisation and storage – setting annual spending budgets over the next decade to give the industry certainty to invest in projects now,” she said.

Business

Dangote Refinery announces first PMS exports to Cameroon

Dangote Refinery and Neptune Oil jointly announced the first-ever export of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, from Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest oil refinery, to Cameroon.

The 650,000 barrels per day refinery disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Dangote Refinery said that the feat is the result of a strategic collaboration between the two companies, underscoring their commitment to strengthening economic ties between Nigeria and Cameroon while meeting the region’s growing energy demands.

Reacting, Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of the Dangote Group, noted that the export of PMS to Cameroon is a tangible demonstration of the group’s vision for a united and energy-independent Africa.

“With this development, we are laying the foundation for a future where African resources are refined and exchanged within the continent for the benefit of our people,” he said.

On his part, Antoine Ndzengue, Director and Owner of Neptune Oil, emphasised that the partnership with Dangote Refinery marks a turning point for Cameroon by becoming the first importer of petroleum products from this world-class refinery.

“We are bolstering our country’s energy security and supporting local economic development. This initial supply, executed without international intermediaries, reflects our commitment to serving our markets independently and efficiently,” he stated.

Business

Ekiti Airport gets NCAA’s approval to commence non-scheduled flight operation December 15

Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport (EAICA) Ado-Ekiti has received the approval of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to commence non-scheduled flight operation effective December 15th, 2024.

The NCAA, in a letter dated December 11, 2024 and addressed to Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, said the approval of the non-scheduled operations under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at the airport is for a period of six months- December 15, 2024 to June 15, 2025.

The letter, which was signed by NCAA Acting Director General Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, was in response to the state government’s application for flight operational permit for the airport.

According to NCAA, the approval for a six months non-schedule operation at the airport is to enable the NCAA validate the implementation of the pending findings and to allow Ekiti State Government time to rectify a few outstanding Corrective Action items indicated in the agency’s last inspection report.

As part of compliance steps towards the commencement of the non-scheduled flight operations at the airport, operations are to be in agreement with relevant agencies for provision of essential services, including Air Traffic Services, Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Aviation Security and Meteorological services.

It will be recalled that the State government had earlier signed MoUs and Service Level Agreements with these federal aviation agencies.

The Government of Ekiti State welcomes NCAA’s approval for the non-scheduled flight operation, which allows private jets and other chartered flights to land and take off from the airport between 6.00am to 6.00pm (or sunrise to sunset), preparatory to the final approval for commercial flight operations.

Most new airports are usually given non-scheduled flight approval to allow them clear audit gaps in their compliance before final approval for flight operational permit.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji describes the NCAA’s approval as a welcome development and a justification for the state’s investment in the airport project, which was designed to boost Ekiti State’s socioeconomic development by making the state more readily accessible.

Governor Oyebanji had earlier in the year assured stakeholders that the Ekiti airport would become operational before the end of the year.

Business

NCAA to punish airline operators for delayed tickets refund

N46bn debt: NCAA threatens to withdraw airlines’ licences

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has expressed its readiness to punish any airlines that delay tickets refund to the passengers.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja,.

He said tickets refund compliance regulations remain central to the NCAA’s consumer protection agenda.

According to him, the time had come for airlines to adhere strictly to the refund timelines as failure to comply will attract immediate sanctions under Part 19 of the regulations.

The director said Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 aimed to safeguard passenger rights.

Speaking on a specific case involving Air Peace, the director stated that the airline had exceeded the stipulated refund timeframe, compelling the NCAA to demand swift compliance.

Achimugu added that the incident has triggered the regulators to take decisive action against any form of non-compliance.

“Cash purchases must be refunded immediately, and by cash. Refunds for electronic payments, including mobile apps and internet banking, must occur within 14 days.

“Over the past year, the NCAA has worked with airlines to enhance passenger experience and resolve operational challenges.

”The Authority has maintained a balanced approach, fostering cooperation between operators and regulators to promote better service delivery.

“Most airlines have been responsive, and the relationship between operators and the NCAA has significantly improved, benefiting passengers across the board,” he said.

Achimugu, however, said that the era of leniency had ended with stricter enforcement measures now in place, adding that airlines that failed to meet the refund timelines outlined in the NCAA Regulations 2023 would face sanctions