Paul backs The Solent Cluster at Parliament briefing

In February, our UK chairman Paul Greenwood spoke at an event to promote The Solent Cluster, which was held at the Houses of Parliament and hosted by Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance. The Solent Cluster brings together international organisations, manufacturers and academic institutions to pool expertise in carbon capture, storage, and hydrogen technology. Our goal? To pave the way for a sustainable future by securing existing jobs and producing low-carbon fuels for sectors including maritime and aviation, as well as energy to heat homes, businesses, and public buildings.

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Image Paul Greenwood, Chairman Esso UK Ltd at ExxonMobil Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance — Paul Greenwood, Chairman Esso UK Ltd at ExxonMobil & Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance

Paul told the audience at the event: “The Solent Cluster is backed by companies with technical know-how and a global track record in delivering effective low carbon solutions, including international energy producers with proven expertise in CCS and hydrogen technology. These companies, including ExxonMobil, stand ready to potentially invest almost £12 billion by 2035, provided the right support and policy framework is in place.”

ExxonMobil is delighted to play an integral role in the partnership, which has the potential to position the Solent at the centre of low carbon fuel production in the UK and make a major contribution to the country’s net zero ambitions by 2050.

Since its establishment in November 2022, the partnership has seen remarkable growth, with over 120 members joining its ranks, including Emirates, which recently became its second airline partner, underlining the global significance of its mission.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. In January, the Solent Cluster and project partners received national funding of nearly £750,000 to progress plans to decarbonise industry across the Solent area. The successful bid to the Government’s Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plan competition, run in partnership with Innovate UK (IUK), will be complemented by funding from the project partners to bring the project total to over £1million.