Two North East companies have secured supply contracts for the NZT Power project, which is on course to become the world’s first commercial-scale gas-fired power station fitted with full carbon capture technology. Barrier Group, based in Wallsend, North Tyneside, and Cullum Detuners, headquartered in Stockton, will both contribute specialist engineering work to the Teesside facility, which is being delivered by a consortium led by Technip Energies with GE Vernova and Balfour Beatty.
Once operational, NZT Power will generate up to 742 megawatts of low-carbon electricity — enough to meet the annual needs of more than one million UK homes. Up to two million tonnes of CO2 per year will be captured from the station and transported for permanent storage via the Northern Endurance Partnership, the UK’s first dedicated CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. The construction phase alone is expected to create and sustain more than 3,000 jobs for the Teesside region.
Barrier Group has been contracted by Technip Energies to design, engineer and supply the HVAC systems for the power station’s turbine hall — the building at the heart of the combined cycle gas turbine plant where electricity is generated from natural gas. The engineering work is being led from Barrier’s Haverton Hill facility in Teesside. Around 10 staff are currently dedicated to the contract, rising to nearly 20 in the later stages, and five new engineering positions have already been created as a result of the award.
Barrier’s operations director Kevin Judson said the contract aligns with the company’s strategic push into major energy infrastructure and decarbonisation projects, and reflects the strength of the Tees Valley’s industrial supply chain. The firm sees the project as a platform for further growth from its River Tees yard, alongside continued development of its modular construction capabilities.
Cullum Detuners has been appointed to procure, manufacture and install the high-specification flue gas ducting for the project. The work will be managed from Cullum’s Stockton offices, with fabrication handled by In-Spec in Middlesbrough and final module assembly carried out at the former British Steel Plate Mill. Forty employees will be involved over a 15-month period, and 15 new roles have been created off the back of the deal.
Kevin McEneny, Cullum’s sales director, described the project as a landmark in decarbonised power generation and highlighted the company’s commitment to local manufacture and local supply chains as a defining feature of its delivery approach.