CATS terminal operator Kellas Midstream welcomed energy minister Grant Shapps to Teesside on Tuesday, the latest in series of ministerial visits as the government promotes ‘Energy Week’.
The Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero visited the Central Area Transmission System gas processing terminal to discuss UK energy security and domestic gas supply.
The CATS terminal, operated in partnership with Wood, handles around a quarter of the UK’s gas production and plays a critical role in supplying the nation’s domestic gas network.
It follows a visit by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to north east Scotland earlier this week to announce the award of major carbon capture and storage funding, and confirmation of support for “hundreds” of new North Sea exploration licences.
Mr Shapps’ visit was hosted by Kellas chief operating officer Alan Murray and Wood CATS operations and maintenance manager Craig Wreglesworth.
© Supplied by KellasDuring his visit he also met some of the workforce responsible for ensuring the running of the site, finding out about what is being done at site to reduce emissions and support the UK’s transition to net zero.
Mr Murray said: “Our industry plays an essential role in driving the UK transition to cleaner energy. We were delighted to show Mr Shapps around the terminal and talk about our role in providing UK energy security and discuss our exciting plans to build new low carbon infrastructure.”
Aberdeen-headquartered Kellas is operates a number of critical energy infrastructure assets in the Central and Southern North Sea, including the Esmond Transportation System (ETS) in Norfolk and the Humber Gathering System (HGS) in East Yorkshire, as well as the CATS facilities.
The group is also behind plans to build gigawatt-scale hydrogen production facilities on Teesside.
Mr Murray added: “We recognize and support the need to accelerate UK clean energy production. Our low carbon hydrogen projects will be developed through innovation, strong partnerships and investment, bringing significant economic benefits and employment opportunities to the Tees Valley and Northeast of England.”
Mr Shapps visit came ahead of an energy sector summit in Downing Street on Wednesday, in which firms including Shell, BP and SSE were set to reiterate their plans to collectively invest over £100 billion in UK projects.
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