UK’s First CCS Pipeline Begins Offshore Construction
Construction is underway on the Northern Endurance Partnership's 149-km offshore CO₂ pipeline, the backbone of the UK's first carbon capture and storage network linking Teesside and the Humber to North Sea storage sites.
(P&GJ) — Offshore construction has begun on the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the United Kingdom's first carbon dioxide transportation and storage network, marking a major milestone for the country's carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry.
The campaign officially launched at PD Ports' Port of Hartlepool, where linepipe deliveries have begun for a 149-km (92.6-mile), 28-in. offshore CO₂ pipeline that will transport captured emissions from industrial facilities in Teesside and the Humber to permanent storage sites beneath the North Sea.
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Engineering and construction company Saipem is delivering the offshore campaign.
The offshore pipeline, along with associated landfall infrastructure, will form the backbone of the NEP network, which is expected to transport and store up to 23 million metric tons of CO₂ annually once operational.
More than 60% of the pipeline joints were manufactured locally at the former Liberty Steel pipe mill in Hartlepool, now operated by Corinth Pipeworks. The project has supported approximately 150 skilled jobs while creating another 35 positions, including apprenticeships.
According to NEP, the project is about one-third complete, with onshore construction already underway. Together with the Net Zero Teesside Power project, the development is expected to support about 3,000 jobs and has awarded more than $2 billion in contracts to more than 260 UK-based companies.
PD Ports will manage approximately 12,000 concrete-coated linepipe joints weighing a combined 170,000 metric tons during the offshore campaign. The company has also invested more than $1 million in new pipe-handling equipment at the Port of Hartlepool.
Rich Denny, managing director of Northern Endurance Partnership, said the arrival of the first pipe shipments marks the beginning of construction on a nationally significant project.
"Seeing the first pipes arrive in Hartlepool is a huge milestone for NEP and a clear sign that construction of this nationally significant project is now underway," Denny said.
"The infrastructure we are building will enable industries across Teesside and the Humber to reduce their emissions while continuing to grow, invest and create jobs."
Saipem UK Managing Director Roberto Pellegrini said the project represents an important step for both the company and the UK's growing CCS sector.
"The start of the offshore campaign marks a significant milestone for both the project and the wider CCS sector," Pellegrini said.
Paul Foreman, chief operating officer of PD Ports and the company's incoming chief executive officer, said the project highlights the port's role in supporting large-scale offshore infrastructure developments.
"PD Ports is proud to play a role as a key enabler in the project, using decades of operational experience across offshore, energy and project cargo ... to support the deployment of the offshore pipeline for NEP," Foreman said.
The NEP network is designed to transport captured carbon emissions from industrial facilities to offshore storage reservoirs beneath the North Sea. At full capacity, the system is expected to handle up to 23 million metric tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to roughly 20% of the UK's annual carbon dioxide emissions, according to the project.