NSTA awards Endurance first ever UK carbon storage permit

First injection could come as early as 2027
Site off coast of Teesside could store up to 100 million tonnes of CO2
Big step on the path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions

The UK’s first ever carbon storage permit has been awarded by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) in an historic moment on the journey to net zero.

The site, managed by the Northern Endurance Partnership, off the coast of the north-east of England is the first of scores which are expected to follow in UK waters, preventing hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Today the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero also awarded an economic licence to Net Zero North Sea Storage, that will unlock £4bn worth of contracts, drive investment in innovative technology and industries and bring 2,000 jobs to the North East.

It follows an announcement by the government recently of £21.7bn investment into carbon capture and storage projects.

The permit allows for first injection by 2027 with a permitted injection rate of 4 million tonnes per annum. Averaged over a duration of 25 years, this could reach a total of 100 million tonnes, equivalent to taking 58.8 million cars off the road for a year.

The permit, which was issued alongside the Economic Licence granted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, allows Net Zero North Sea Storage Limited, an incorporated joint venture between bp, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, to start installing infrastructure on the site.

It is expected to serve Teesside-based carbon capture projects – NZT Power, H2Teesside and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture.

Endurance, which is located around 75km east of Flamborough Head, off Teesside on England’s east coast, is the first UK location to receive a permit.

Stuart Payne, NSTA Chief Executive, said:

“This is a truly historic day. Carbon storage has been long planned but is now becoming a reality.

“For a long time we have talked about the possibility of carbon storage; we have often touted the UK’s vast geographic potential of 78GT, we have drawn up plans for a carbon storage economy and we have grasped the prospect of new jobs. Now we are making it happen.

“The energy industry already has the infrastructure, a world class supply chain and highly-skilled people who can drive the change we need to maintain a thriving energy sector which offers quality jobs and leads the way to net zero. Now let’s put them to work.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“This investment launches a new era for clean energy in Britain - boosting energy security, backing industries, and supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs in Teesside and the North East.

“This is the Government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower in action- replacing Britain’s energy insecurity with homegrown clean power that rebuilds the strength of our industrial heartlands.”

Endurance, also known as the East Coast Cluster, was named as one of the two locations in the Track 1 cluster alongside HyNet, in the East Irish Sea.

In addition to Endurance, there are a further 26 carbon dioxide appraisal and storage licences on the UK Continental Shelf, including the 21 awarded by the NSTA last year in the UK’s first-ever carbon storage licensing round. It is expected that a second permit could be granted in the coming months.

Eventually it is hoped that dozens of storage sites could be permitted every year - the UK has a potential storage capacity of 78 GT, in natural aquifers and depleted reservoirs.

In order to satisfy the NSTA that the site was eligible for a permit, the partnership had to demonstrate that they met the terms of the regulations, including:

There is no significant risk of leakage
The site is fit for carbon storage purposes
The storage complex as a whole is suitable (the site comprises a containment unit which is housed within a larger secondary containment unit. The two units are the complex)
No significant harm to the environment or to human health
They have evidence that they meet guidelines for technical competence and professional standards of employees
They are financially secure

The NSTA has altered its structure to better meet the challenges presented by the growing carbon storage sector. In 2023 a dedicated Carbon Transportation and Storage team was set up, and this has been supported by a series of changes to internal processes intended to assist the industry in becoming established.

These include updating our approach to licence transfers, providing guidance on net zero to the industry, moving towards making data more accessible, and easing processes for essential permit applications.

Notes to editors:

Pictured: L-R: Alistair Macfarlane, NSTA Head of Carbon Storage and Transportation, and Stuart Payne, Chief Executive of the NSTA, Available for interview subject to availability.