Permits and Funding in Place for UK’s First Offshore CCS Project

(Credit: TotalEnergies)

North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has issued its first carbon storage permit to Northern Endurance Partnership, consisting of BP, Equinor and TotalEnergies, for the carbon capture and storage (CSS) project off the coast of Teeside. The partners have also reached a financial investment close for the execution of the project.

NSTA awarded a permit for the Endurance project, located off the coast of Teeside in north-east England, which could store up to 100 million tonnes of CO2.

The first CO2 injection could come as early as 2027, according to NSTA, with a permitted injection rate of 4 million tonnes per year.

Averaged over a duration of 25 years, this could reach a total of 100 million tonnes, equivalent to taking 58.8 million cars off the road for a year.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero also awarded an economic license to Net Zero North Sea Storage, that will unlock $5.1 billion worth of contracts, drive investment in innovative technology and industries and bring 2,000 jobs to the North East.

It follows an announcement by the government recently of $27.6 billion investment into CCS projects.

• UK Makes Major Investment Commitment for CCS Projects Over Next 25 Years

The permit, which was issued alongside the Economic Licence granted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, allows Net Zero North Sea Storage Limited, an incorporated joint venture between bp, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, to start installing infrastructure on the site.

It is expected to serve Teesside-based carbon capture projects – NZT Power, H2Teesside and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture.

In a separate announcement, the Northern Endurance Partnership reached financial close for the projects, allowing to proceed with the execution.

Construction is expected to start from mid-2025 with first CO₂ storage expected in 2028.

“We are very pleased to be a part of this significant moment in the development of the UK’s CCS industry. Northern Endurance Partnership is a frontrunner project and we look forward to transporting and permanently storing CO2 from one of the UK’s largest industrial regions.

“Our stake in Northern Endurance Partnership contributes to TotalEnergies’ objective to develop significant CO2 storage capacities in the North Sea, where we can leverage our expertise in operations and geosciences,” said Arnaud Le Foll, Senior Vice President New Business – Carbon Neutrality, TotalEnergies.

Northern Enudrance Partnership’s shareholders are BP (45%), Equinor (45%), and TotalEnergies (10%).

Endurance, also known as the East Coast Cluster, was named as one of the two locations in the Track 1 cluster alongside HyNet, in the East Irish Sea. 

In addition to Endurance, there are a further 26 carbon dioxide appraisal and storage licences on the UK Continental Shelf, including the 21 awarded by the NSTA last year in the UK’s first-ever carbon storage licensing round. It is expected that a second permit could be granted in the coming months. 

Eventually it is hoped that dozens of storage sites could be permitted every year - the UK has a potential storage capacity of 78 GT, in natural aquifers and depleted reservoirs.