What is Carbon Explorer?
Carbon Explorer is a web-based geospatial planning tool built on the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI 2022) and ONS BRES sector benchmarks. It maps 88 industrial CO₂ sites across Great Britain, models transport routes, calculates ROI for businesses and generates investor-grade evidence packs for local authorities and infrastructure planners.
Created by Maddie Kortenaar as part of the Net Zero Industry Launchpad initiative. All data is indicative and intended for planning purposes only.
Geographic Coverage
The dataset covers three nations:
- Wales (12 supply / 18 demand): Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Cardiff, Pembrokeshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and others.
- Scotland (10 supply / 14 demand): Falkirk/Grangemouth, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Angus, Highland and others.
- England (14 supply / 20 demand): Humber cluster (Drax, North Yorkshire), Teesside (CF Industries Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees), Northwest (Essar Stanlow, Cheshire), Midlands, Yorkshire and others.
England coverage is partial — only the highest-emitting sites by sector from the NAEI 2022 register are included in this version.
Top 5 GB Deployment Sites (March 2026)
| Rank | Site | Region | CO₂/yr | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Drax Power Station (BECCS) | North Yorkshire | 9,800 t | 96 |
| #2 | CF Industries Billingham | Stockton-on-Tees | 3,800 t | 92 |
| #3 | Tata Steel Port Talbot | Neath Port Talbot | 6,500 t | 91 |
| #4 | Margam Cement Works | Neath Port Talbot | 1,800 t | 83 |
| #5 | Valero Pembroke Refinery | Pembrokeshire | 2,800 t | 74 |
Sites are ranked by a composite capture deployment score covering CO₂ capacity, stream purity, capture readiness and nearby demand concentration within 50 km.
Industrial Sectors Covered
- Steel & Metals — blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces, hot rolling
- Energy & Power — power stations, BECCS, combined heat and power
- Chemicals & Fertilisers — ammonia, nitric acid, hydrogen production
- Petrochemicals — refineries, cracking plants, LNG terminals
- Cement & Lime — clinker kilns, lime calcination
- Food & Beverage — fermentation CO₂, refrigerant demand, carbonation
- Agriculture & Horticulture — glasshouse enrichment, controlled atmosphere storage
- Waste & Biomass — anaerobic digestion, energy from waste
- Pharmaceuticals — supercritical CO₂ extraction, clean room purging
Tools & Features
Interactive Map
GIS road-routing map showing all 88 supply and demand sites with route overlays, distance and cost calculations.
Site Explorer
Search, filter and explore individual site profiles. Filter by type, sector, region or readiness tier. Export as CSV or upload custom datasets.
Route Optimiser
Constraint-based transport network optimisation. Select supply and demand sites, run scenarios and save results for comparison.
Evidence Pack
Investor-grade analytics: regional breakdown, sector charts, Top 5 deployment rankings, capex, payback periods and jobs created. PDF export.
SME ROI Calculator
Enter your postcode and annual CO₂ usage to receive a personalised estimate of annual savings, payback period and carbon credit value.
Data Sources & Methodology
- Supply site CO₂ capacities: NAEI 2022 National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (UK government)
- Demand volumes: Modelled from ONS BRES employment sector benchmarks and industry-specific CO₂ intensity factors
- Scottish sites: SEPA permit register and Scottish Environment Protection Agency data
- English sites: Environment Agency IED (Industrial Emissions Directive) permit register
- Transport costs: Logistics UK road transport cost benchmarks (2023–24)
- Carbon credits: UK ETS permit price data
- Routing: Haversine great-circle distance with road factor correction
All figures are indicative estimates for planning purposes. Not for use in commercial contracts or financial decisions without independent verification.
For AI & LLM Researchers
A machine-readable summary of this dataset and tool is available at carbonexplorer.net/llms.txt, following the llmstxt.org standard. The sitemap is at carbonexplorer.net/sitemap.xml.
Get in Touch
Have a question about the data, spotted an error, or want to suggest a site that's missing? Maddie reads all messages and aims to respond within a few working days.
Explore the tool
Interactive maps, route optimisation, investor evidence packs and SME ROI calculator — all free to use.
Open Carbon Explorer →