Protos means ‘first’ in ancient Greek and true to its name, we’re leading the way in becoming the UK’s first carbon capture ready development site. Key projects have secured government backing, planning approvals have been secured and vital carbon capture infrastructure is now moving into delivery. But what does that mean in real terms, what are the opportunities in the heartland of Origin and how do we ensure it delivers for the people of Cheshire, and the wider North West?

First of a kind opportunities for Protos at the heart of the CO2 Cluster

Protos sits at the heart of the £2bn billion investment on carbon capture infrastructure being developed in the North West. The region is one of the first two carbon capture clusters selected by Government with hydrogen and carbon capture cluster project HyNet the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation project.

At Protos there’s 180 acres of consented development land which with the inclusion of the adjacent former CF fertiliser site brings the total to 328 acres. With ‘ready to go’ plots, and an extensive array of utility connections and infrastructure including communication, water, electricity, gas and ammonia, Protos offers an unrivalled opportunity to unlock clean growth. All backed by government investment and supported by the Origin partnership led by Cheshire West & Chester Council and Enterprise Cheshire.

Permission granted for pioneering infrastructure at Protos

Peel NRE has pioneered an innovative approach to long term sustainable infrastructure at Protos, undertaking early feasibility exercises to develop a local carbon dioxide (CO₂) network. This network would see emissions gathered onsite and fed into the wider CO₂ transport and storage network in the region. Peel NRE are now working with Eni to deliver the Protos Spur pipeline, which will be capable of handling around 980,000 tpa of CO₂, providing occupiers with direct access to carbon capture infrastructure, creating a unique opportunity to generate low carbon energy and helping businesses locating on site to achieve their sustainability and decarbonisation goals. Using government figures on average emissions and car journeys, this is equivalent to taking 666,000 cars off the road.

As businesses are starting to see the unrivalled opportunities, momentum is growing. In April 2025, Liverpool Bay CCS Limited reached financial close on the Liverpool Bay Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project. This milestone signalled the start of HyNet’s construction, putting the region on track for operations to begin in 2028. The Liverpool Bay CCS project is set to deliver a network of new and repurposed pipelines designed to safely transport CO₂ emissions from industry to a secure, permanent storage site beneath the seabed in Liverpool Bay.

At Protos, Liverpool Bay CCS Limited recently secured planning approval for a new Carbon Dioxide Spur Pipeline and an Above Ground Installation (West AGI). This will take CO₂ from businesses at Protos and transport it via the HyNet network to Eni’s Liverpool Bay carbon storage facility.

Growing delivery and investment momentum at Protos

This infrastructure will support a new wave of innovative projects across the site. Encyclis and the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) recently reached a landmark agreement on the commercial framework to deliver the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture plant for Energy-from-Waste, located at Protos. The first-of-its-kind carbon capture plant is set to prevent around 380,000 tonnes of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere, enabling fully sustainable treatment of unrecyclable residual household and commercial waste at the Protos ERF, which is currently under construction.

Elsewhere on site, Evero has been selected by the UK Government to enter negotiations to transform its the Ince Biomass plant at Protos, adding new carbon capture technology to the operational waste wood biomass plant. The plant would be the UK ’s first Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) facility which would remove 170,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year from the atmosphere.

A future vision for skilled, high quality jobs and clean growth in the Ellesmere Port area

Protos is the place where clean energy and innovation meet, delivering future regional growth and skilled, high quality jobs. The construction and commissioning of the Protos carbon capture plant will directly support up to 500 skilled jobs and is expected to deliver a significant boost to the regional supply chain.

Looking ahead, we are committed to working with regional partners in and beyond the cluster to attract inward investment, strengthening the UK’s position as a leader in carbon capture and storage and establishing Protos as the UK’s first carbon capture ready site .

Interested in locating at Protos? Contact us