The UK’s first commercial carbon capture and offshore storage project is moving forward with a contract that will enable both nearshore and offshore seabed surveys, inspection and installation support and verification along the future pipeline route to send captured carbon dioxide (CO2) for sequestration beneath the seabed.

Nearshore works will focus on pre-lay surveys from the tunnel exit, extending several kilometres offshore, along with installation monitoring as the pipeline is pulled out to sea to confirm it is being laid as designed and to identify any unexpected seabed changes ahead of its installation.

Further offshore, the project will see surveys, installation support and verification services along the pipeline route, including at third-party pipeline and cable crossings, according to contract awardee Fugro.

“As the UK’s first major carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, NEP’s work marks an important milestone for the energy transition, and we’re thrilled to be part of it," Fugro director of marine asset integrity, Europe and Africa, Mike Duncan said. “By working closely with Saipem across nearshore and offshore environments, from early surveys through to installation, we support informed decision‑making that helps Saipem manage risk across a technically complex route.”

According to UK-based Fugro, their source-to-seabed approach provides Saipem with consistent, reliable Geo-data along the entire route, helping reduce installation risk and support efficient project delivery.

The Northern Endurance Partnership is a UK-based joint venture formed to develop and operate CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure for the UK’s East Coast Cluster. Backed by shareholders BP, Equinor, and TotalEnergies along with National Gas (formerly National Grid Gas Transmission), the flagship UK CCS project targets an injection rate of up to 4M tonnes of CO2 annually from 2028.

UK government support and the final investment decision for the separate CCS clusters Northern Endurance Partnership and HYNET projects finalised in 2024. The development of coastal CO2 terminals could also facilitate future ship-based transport of captured carbon dioxide as additional industrial emitters connect to UK storage infrastructure.

As work begins on the UK’s first commercial CCS transport and storage network, industry leaders are also urging the government to accelerate the development of a market for greenhouse gas removals.

Senior leaders from across the CCUS sector gathered at the UK’s House of Lords yesterday alongside Lord Whitehead, Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, to celebrate the progress of the UK’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry.

"Projects across the North West, North Wales and Teesside are now in construction, with more than £4 billion of supply chain contracts already awarded, supporting and creating around 5,000 construction jobs. The first CCUS clusters have also met the industry’s voluntary commitment to source at least 50% of goods, services and labour from UK suppliers, demonstrating the sector’s contribution to British businesses and skilled employment," the CCSA said.

Greenhouse gas removals will be essential to achieving the UK’s climate targets, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC). The body estimates that the UK will require up to 35.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂) of removals each year by 2050, equivalent to removing the emissions of around 16 million cars annually.

The CCSA estimates that the current pipeline of UK projects, if provided a route to market, could deliver an additional 18.2 MtCO₂ of removals every year by 2035, "provided the right policy and investment framework is established".

However, the CCSA warns that delays to policy development, transport and storage infrastructure, and long-term market incentives risk slowing deployment and weakening investor confidence at a critical stage of market development.

"The UK has built real momentum in CCUS, with projects under construction and a world-class CO2 transport and storage industry taking shape. We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on that foundation and establish the UK as a global leader in greenhouse gas removals,” CCSA CEO Olivia Powis said.