Uniper selects SLB Capturi’s amine-based carbon capture technology for its 1.38 GW low-carbon power project in Deeside, UK

Uniper has named SLB Capturi as the preferred carbon capture technology licensor for its proposed Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power project in Deeside, United Kingdom. The selection follows a competitive front-end engineering and design process that began in December 2024.

The project would deploy SLB Capturi’s Big Catch™ amine-based carbon capture system across a facility with a proposed capacity of up to 1.38 GW—potentially making it the technology provider’s first deployment at megascale in gas-fired power generation.

Uniper picks SLB Capturi for Connah’s Quay carbon capture project

The Connah’s Quay Low Carbon Power project (CQLCP) is one of the more ambitious low-carbon power proposals moving through the UK’s planning system right now. Uniper is targeting a maximum capacity of 1.38 GW, developed across two phases. Phase one, if it holds to schedule, could be operational from 2030, supplying electricity equivalent to roughly 1.1 million homes per year.

Amine-based capture works by passing flue gas through a liquid solvent that binds with CO₂, stripping it from the emissions stream before it reaches the atmosphere.

SLB Capturi landed the preferred licensor spot at the end of a competitive front-end engineering and design process that kicked off in December 2024. That’s a short runway for a project this size, and it signals that both parties came in with serious groundwork already done.

How the Big Catch technology was configured for flexible gas-fired power

At the core of the proposal is SLB Capturi’s Big Catch™ system—a customized, amine-based carbon capture solution built for large-scale applications. Amine-based capture works by passing flue gas through a liquid solvent that binds with CO₂, stripping it from the emissions stream before it reaches the atmosphere.

CQLCP presented a trickier challenge than a steady industrial process: the variable output of a gas-fired power station responding to grid demand and fluctuating renewable generation. That kind of flexibility puts real strain on capture systems, which typically perform best under stable, predictable conditions. To address it, the design incorporates SLB Capturi’s anti-mist and energy-saver systems—targeting air emissions limits and overall energy efficiency, two areas where amine-based systems have historically drawn scrutiny at scale.

The technology itself isn’t new. SLB Capturi has been developing its process technology and solvent portfolio since 2008, logging thousands of hours of commercial testing, feasibility studies, and engineering work. The company currently has eight plants either in operation or under delivery.

What the project means for SLB Capturi and gas-fired carbon capture

CQLCP would mark a genuine milestone. If it reaches a final investment decision and construction moves forward, it’d be SLB Capturi’s first carbon capture deployment at megascale in gas-fired power generation—a different environment from where most of its track record was built.

Existing plants in delivery and operation have focused on cement, waste-to-energy, and bioenergy. Emissions concentrations and operational patterns in those sectors look quite different from gas-fired power, where exhaust streams tend to carry lower CO₂ concentrations than, say, cement production. That’s its own engineering problem.

SLB Capturi has been working on exactly that problem, collaborating with Siemens Energy and other gas turbine original equipment manufacturers for more than five years on carbon capture applications for gas-fired power. That background appears to have been a factor in its selection here. The company also brings a portfolio of more than 30 projects in advanced development, under construction, or in operation—a track record that likely carried weight through the FEED process.

CO₂ transport, storage, and the HyNet industrial cluster connection

Capturing the CO₂ is only part of the equation. What happens to it afterward matters just as much—and here, CQLCP benefits from its geography.

The project site sits next to Uniper’s existing Connah’s Quay power station in Deeside, putting it within reach of CO₂ pipeline infrastructure being developed through the HyNet industrial cluster. HyNet is a regional decarbonization initiative designed to cut emissions from power generation and industrial facilities across northwest England and North Wales. Captured CO₂ from CQLCP would feed into that pipeline network and be permanently stored in repurposed depleted offshore gas fields—generally considered a lower-risk approach than developing new storage sites from scratch.

HyNet’s broader ambition is connecting multiple emitters to shared transport and storage infrastructure. Without that pipeline backbone, individual projects like CQLCP would face much higher costs and logistical complexity.

Next steps: Regulatory consent and final investment decision

The project still has significant hurdles ahead. It’s currently moving through the Development Consent Order application process — the regulatory route required for nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales—with a decision expected within the coming months.

If the DCO is granted and Uniper reaches a final investment decision, SLB Capturi’s scope would expand considerably: technology licensing, proprietary equipment supply, participation in the integrated project management team, and support through detailed design, construction, commissioning, and handover. Worley and Siemens Energy were both involved in the engineering phase alongside SLB Capturi, a collaboration that could carry forward if the project moves into full development.

So here’s where things stand: CQLCP is a large-scale, gas-fired power project with carbon capture built in from the start, tied into regional CO₂ infrastructure, and targeting operational status by 2030. SLB Capturi’s selection positions it to make its first entry into megascale gas-fired carbon capture—if the regulatory and investment decisions go the right way.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.