Energy Giants Pioneer Groundbreaking Carbon Capture Project
In a landmark move towards sustainable energy solutions, Equinor, bp and TotalEnergies — shareholders in the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) — are working together to advance the execution of two of the UK's premier carbon capture and storage projects (CCSPs).
Equinor recently announced the financial closure following a Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project, which will be based at Teesside.
The project includes NEP and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power).
Initiating CCSP Projects
Slated for construction commencement by mid-2025 and expected to be up and running by 2028, the CCSPs are designed to incorporate a CO₂ gathering network and onshore compression facilities, alongside a 145km offshore pipeline.
Situated approximately 1000m below the seabed, the Endurance saline aquifer offers the capability to transport and store up to 4 million tonnes of captured CO₂ emissions annually, initially from three Teesside projects. The capacity is set to expand significantly.
The East Coast Cluster, selected by the UK government as one of the initial CCS clusters, is expected to enhance carbon capture capabilities, potentially averaging up to 23 million tonnes by 2035.
Irene Rummelhoff, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Midstream and Processing at Equinor, explains: “It is a major milestone to have agreed FID and financial close on two of the UK’s first CCSP.
"This demonstrates how the industry, alongside the UK government, have progressed a business model for new power supply and carbon capture, transport and storage services to decarbonise the most carbon intensive region in the UK.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners and the UK government as we prepare to progress the projects, with an estimated operational date from 2028 onwards.”
Enhancing energy sustainability
For more than four decades, Equinor has been a major provider of energy to the UK, supplying more than 25% of its natural gas requirements — enough to heat eight million homes.
The company is also involved in the Dogger Bank project in the southern North Sea, which, upon completion, will be the world's largest offshore wind farm.NZT Power is set to be a pioneering gas-fired power plant equipped with carbon capture technology.
This facility will play a crucial role in supporting the decarbonisation efforts throughout the northeast's industrial zones.
It is poised to generate up to 742MW of decarbonised, flexible power, effectively meeting the average electricity demand of around one million UK homes, and will have the capability to capture up to two million tonnes of CO₂ per year for transportation and secure storage by the NEP project.
Investments and future prospects
Equinor holds a 45% stake in NEP, with bp and TotalEnergies owning the remaining shares.
As well as this, bp holds a 75% stake in NZT Power, with Equinor owning the remaining 25%.
The construction of both projects will be undertaken by nine leading engineering, procurement and construction contractors, collectively valued at about £4bn (more than US$5bn).
Alex Grant, UK Country Manager at Equinor, says: “The UK is a key market for Equinor and we have a history of delivering significant energy provision along its East Coast, transitioning from traditional oil and gas demand to include renewables and low carbon options such as CCS and hydrogen.
"This is a major step for both Equinor and the UK, helping to decarbonise the country’s industrial heartlands and achieve its net zero ambitions whilst providing jobs and supply chain opportunities.
“We look forward to working with the government to deliver further low carbon projects across the UK including in the Humber and in Scotland.”
The government has already approved NEP to progress development engineering for the Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline (HCCP), an onshore infrastructure project intended to transport CO₂ from upcoming carbon capture projects in the Humber region.
These initiatives support Equinor’s broader corporate ambitions, including a 50% reduction in operated emissions and significant investments in low-carbon and renewable technologies by 2030.
The company aims to have a 30-50mtpa CO₂ transport and storage capacity by 2035, thereby reinforcing its commitment to advancing low-carbon technologies and increasing the UK's carbon capture and supporting renewable energy infrastructure.
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