Facilities to capture and store carbon emissions from polluting businesses will support 2,000 jobs in the north-east of England, the government has claimed.

In October, it pledged £22bn funding for “carbon capture clusters” on Teesside and Merseyside over the next 25 years.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said contracts had now been signed for projects on Teesside, with construction expected to start in mid-2025 and a start-up scheduled for 2028.

While Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the move would “kickstart growth”, some green campaigners said the investment “extends the life of planet-heating oil and gas production”.