CMS has advised National Grid on its successful bid to secure funds for a full feasibility study on the White Rose project, a government-backed carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.

CCS involves three elements: the capture of emissions, transporting them by pipeline and their permanent storage underground.  Capture Power Limited (a joint venture of Alstom, Drax and BOC) would carry out the capture activities and National Grid would carry out the transport and storage activities.  The proposal is to transport the emissions from a new 426MW coal plant at Drax by trunkline and underwater pipeline, with the emissions then stored under the North Sea. The White Rose Project is one of two preferred projects bidding for £1 billion of CCS commercialisation funding.
 
The CMS team was led by partner Munir Hassan, with senior associate Harvinder Deol leading the negotiations on this contract supported by associate Dalia Majumder-Russell. The team was assisted by a further fourteen specialist lawyers advising across a broad range of legal disciplines.

Munir Hassan commented: “We are delighted to have advised successfully on this award, which represents a major step in the development of CCS on a commercial scale in the UK. It also follows on from our earlier work done for long-standing client National Grid on other CCS developments, including the Longannet CCS project in 2010.”

CMS’ Energy team continues to advise National Grid on wider aspects of its CCS work. This includes supporting the CCS Commercialisation Programme with the next step being the negotiation of a series of contracts with the Government, sponsors and banks preceding construction and operation.