New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Liverpool Bay CCS secures seabed lease for UK-first carbon storage project
4/8/2026
News
Liverpool Bay CCS has signed a lease with The Crown Estate for its CO₂ transport and storage project in Liverpool Bay, the first carbon capture and storage (CCS) development in the UK to repurpose existing infrastructure.
The lease enables Liverpool Bay CCS, part of Eni CCUS, to access the seabed and redeploy legacy offshore assets to transport and permanently store CO2 captured from industrial emitters within the HyNet North West cluster.
The project will reuse and repurpose more than 75 miles of existing pipelines, alongside offshore structures and an onshore treatment plant. A further 21 miles of new pipeline will connect regional industrial sites to the Liverpool Bay CCS transport and storage network.
CO2 will initially be captured from cement, low-carbon hydrogen and power, and energy-from-waste projects before being permanently stored in depleted gas reservoirs beneath Liverpool Bay.
Phase 1 of the Liverpool Bay CCS project is expected to store 109 million tonnes (mn t) of CO₂ over its operational life, with an initial storage capacity of 4.5mn t/y and the potential to expand to 10mn t/y after 2030.
In addition, the project is expected to support around 2,000 jobs during construction and unlock approximately £2bn of supply chain investment.
First CO₂ injection is targeted for 2028, in line with the development timelines of industrial partners in the HyNet cluster.
Pipeline studies highlight path forward for UK carbon storage infrastructure
Two new studies commissioned by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) aim to support the development of the UK’s carbon storage industry by addressing key challenges associated with transporting CO₂ through offshore pipelines.
The reports explore both the construction of new CO₂ pipelines and the potential to repurpose existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure, offering guidance for developers working across the CCS sector.
The first study, carried out by Penspen, assesses the technical requirements for new-build CO₂ pipelines. It addresses areas including contaminant management, fracture control, subsea tiebacks, metering and flow modelling. The findings indicate that there are no major hardware barriers to deployment. However, the study highlights the limited global experience of large-scale offshore CO₂ pipeline systems, meaning developers must rely heavily on established hydrocarbon pipeline expertise, supported by modelling and testing, rather than proven CCS systems in making design assumptions.
The report identifies a need for greater clarity around system integration, validation and alignment across technical, commercial and regulatory interfaces to enable large-scale CCS deployment and establish industry best practice.
A second study, produced by DNV, focuses on the feasibility of repurposing existing offshore hydrocarbon pipelines and associated infrastructure for CO₂ transport. It concludes that reuse is generally technically viable and can offer cost advantages over new-build solutions, provided the condition of existing assets is suitable.
DNV highlights several key considerations for repurposing, including the management of running ductile fracture in dense-phase CO₂ pipelines. While many pipelines can be adapted for either dense-phase or gas-phase CO₂ transport, the study notes that new infrastructure may still be required where repurposing is not practical.
