EXXONMOBIL has signed an Expression of Interest to capture, transport, and store CO2 at its Fife Ethylene Plant as part of a proposed project.

The Acorn carbon capture project is designed to store carbon from onshore industrial plants under the North Sea seabed.

The agreement to include the FEP at Mossmorran is in addition to an earlier announced Memorandum of Understanding to capture and store emissions from gas terminals at the St Fergus complex at Peterhead, which includes ExxonMobil’s joint venture gas terminal.

The initial phase of Acorn, which is bidding to be in the first wave of carbon capture clusters to be announced by the UK government, has the potential to deliver more than half of the country’s target of capturing and storing 10 million metric tons per year of CO2 by 2030.

When expanded further, it will have the potential to store more than 20 million metric tonnes per year of CO2 by the mid-2030s.

Martin Burrell, plant manager of Fife Ethylene Plant, said: “The Acorn project has the potential to capture and store CO2 emissions from Scotland’s largest industrial centre, which is an economic engine for the country.

“This agreement allows us to explore the potential for significant emissions Exxon Mobil Corporation reduction through carbon capture and storage, and ensure Scotland continues to benefit from vital manufacturing facilities such as Fife.”

The Fife Ethylene Plant recently completed a £140 million investment programme to upgrade key infrastructure and introduce new technologies that will significantly improve operational reliability and performance.

A further project is underway to install an enclosed ground flare.

On schedule to be operational by the end of 2022, the unit is designed to significantly reduce noise, light and vibration, and it is estimated the investment will reduce the use of the plant’s elevated flare by at least 98 percent.