Huge carbon storage scheme in Liverpool bay is given the Green light

A major carbon storage project in the Irish Sea has been given the green light

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has awarded three carbon storage permits to Eni for Liverpool Bay CCS, the CO₂transportation and storage system which will serve the HyNet industrial cluster.

Phase one of HyNet is designed to store 109 million tonnes of CO₂ in the East Irish Sea, 20 miles off the coast of Liverpool, over 25 years – the equivalent of taking 60.1 million cars off the road for a year.

The system, which will take CO₂ from large-scale industrial emitters in north-west England and north Wales, will unlock about £2 billion worth of supply chain contracts and create 2,000 construction jobs.

The permits let Eni start preparing the stores for the initial injection of 4.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year starting as soon as mid-2028. The permits were issued alongside the economic licence awarded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Carbon storage is a vital cog in the UK’s clean energy future and the NSTA is playing a major role in ensuring the sector reaches its full potential. The NSTA awarded the nation’s first ever carbon storage permit to the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) for a site in the Southern North Sea in December 2024. The regulator also launched the world’s first ever large-scale carbon storage licensing round in 2022, resulting in 21 awards the following year.

It is estimated that the UK will need to appraise around 100 stores to hit its net zero target. The NSTA has kept up the momentum with the permit awards for HyNet, which followed exhaustive technical work to be satisfied that there is no significant risk of leakage from any of the offshore storage sites.

HyNet will be served by a combination of new infrastructure and existing infrastructure which will be repurposed for carbon transportation and storage. In total, more than 90 miles of offshore and onshore pipeline will be given a new lease of life, delivering substantial cost savings and cutting the environmental impact associated with the construction, transportation and installation of new kit.

A new platform will be installed at the Douglas field to receive CO₂ from the Point of Ayr Gas Terminal in Flintshire, Wales. From there, the CO₂ will be transported onward to the Hamilton, Hamilton North and Lennox depleted oil and gas reservoirs operated by Eni in Liverpool Bay, for permanent storage.

Stuart Payne, NSTA Chief Executive, said:

“These permits for HyNet, following hot on the heels of the one awarded for Endurance, are another significant milestone that puts the tremendous opportunities of the energy transition within the UK’s grasp.

“We’ve now got two major carbon storage projects with real investment and real jobs for our expert supply chain to get its teeth into.

“I’m extremely proud of the leadership NSTA colleagues have shown and the work they’ve put in, alongside developers, government and other regulators, to turn ambitions for carbon storage into reality.”