Major industries across south Wales have joined forces to work out how to slash their carbon emissions over the next 20 years. It is a "massive challenge" that could protect tens of thousands of jobs while creating many more, they say. The region is currently the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases from industry in the UK. Hopes of ending Wales' contribution to global warming by 2050 will partly rely on this effort. Steelworks, oil refining, cement and chemical firms are among those working alongside energy companies, ports, universities and local councils on the £40m project to create a "roadmap to net zero" carbon emissions for industry in south Wales. It will allow them to see where resources and infrastructure are needed for businesses to transition to a greener way of working. WALES ALERTS: Get extra updates on BBC election coverage It is likely to lead to more renewable electricity generation and a surge in production of clean hydrogen fuel. That will have a knock-on effect for homeowners, who could then also be linked up to hydrogen supplies and start using it for heating. Engineering studies will also focus on developing carbon capture technologies at sites where it is considered impossible to completely stop generating CO2. The project's organisers suggested this could eventually result in the UK's first CO2 shipping industry, with boats transporting the gas from the region's ports to be buried underground in the North Sea. As much as it is about helping fight climate change, this hugely complex rewiring of heavy industry is vital if it is to survive. The companies involved in the South Wales Industrial Cluster project (SWIC) employ a combined workforce of more than 100,000 people. Other parts of the UK are also ploughing ahead with decarbonisation plans and the fear is firms could decide to relocate. Chris Williams, head of industrial... |