Equinor, BP, and TotalEnergies have approved a significant £4 billion investment in the UK’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, a crucial step toward decarbonizing the country’s industrial regions. This partnership, focusing on two groundbreaking projects—Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power)—will play a pivotal role in meeting the UK’s ambitious net-zero goals.
Advancing the UK’s Carbon Capture Capacity
The NEP and NZT Power projects are designed to reduce emissions from some of the UK’s most carbon-intensive sectors. With the initial aim of capturing up to 4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2028 and scaling to 23 million tonnes by 2035, the projects will significantly cut industrial emissions. By integrating large-scale carbon capture into the UK’s industrial heartlands, these initiatives are vital to the nation’s strategy of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
NEP will offer CO₂ transportation and storage infrastructure for the East Coast Cluster, a government-backed CCS initiative. The project will consist of a CO₂ gathering network, onshore compression facilities, and a 145km offshore pipeline to inject the captured CO₂ into the Endurance saline aquifer, located 1,000 meters below the seabed. Construction for NEP is set to begin in mid-2025.
Net Zero Teesside Power: The UK’s First Gas-Fired Plant with CCS
NZT Power will stand as a UK-first: a gas-fired power plant integrated with carbon capture technology. The plant will generate 742 MW of low-carbon electricity, sufficient to power around 1 million homes. Additionally, it will capture up to 2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, which will be transported for storage via the NEP infrastructure.
“This is a major milestone for both the energy industry and the UK Government,” said Irene Rummelhoff, Executive Vice President at Equinor. “It demonstrates how industry collaboration and government action are bringing forward a business model that decarbonizes the UK’s most carbon-intensive region.”
Economic Benefits and Job Creation
This £4 billion investment is expected to generate significant economic benefits for the northeast of England, an area with long-standing ties to heavy industry. The projects are anticipated to create thousands of construction jobs, support the growth of local supply chains, and foster long-term economic resilience.
Alex Grant, UK Country Manager at Equinor, highlighted the broader economic and environmental impact, noting that the projects “will decarbonize the UK’s industrial heartlands while providing jobs and supply chain opportunities.” He emphasized that these efforts align with Equinor’s ambition to reduce operated emissions by 50% by 2030 and allocate half of its capital investments to low-carbon and renewable technologies.
Supporting the UK’s Net-Zero Strategy
Equinor’s CCS initiatives are part of a broader vision for the UK’s decarbonization efforts, complementing other infrastructure projects such as the Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline (HCCP). This pipeline will transport CO₂ from future CCS facilities in the Humber region, furthering the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Equinor is also a key partner in the Dogger Bank offshore wind project, which, once completed, is expected to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Together, these initiatives solidify Equinor’s position as a leader in sustainable energy development in the UK.
Conclusion
The £4 billion investment by Equinor, BP, and TotalEnergies in CCS infrastructure marks a critical milestone for the UK’s journey toward net-zero emissions. The Northern Endurance Partnership and Net Zero Teesside Power projects are poised to transform the country’s energy landscape, decarbonize industrial regions, and provide substantial economic benefits. With these projects, the companies are not only addressing the urgent need for sustainable energy but also setting a powerful example for the integration of carbon capture technologies in the fight against climate change.
