The initiative involves capturing CO2 from facilities across North West England and North Wales. The captured CO2 will be transported through a combination of new and existing infrastructure to Eni’s depleted natural gas reservoirs beneath the seabed in Liverpool Bay, Irish Sea, for permanent storage. The project will utilize the Hamilton, Hamilton North, and Lennox fields for this purpose.
Saipem’s responsibilities include engineering, procurement, and construction of a new CO2 electrical compression station. This station will integrate with both onshore and offshore components of the project. Specifically, Saipem will transform a gas compression and treatment facility at Point of Ayr, North Wales, into a CO2 compression station to facilitate offshore CO2 storage.
The project is expected to create over 1,000 local jobs during construction. Saipem states: “This initiative will contribute to reducing emissions from industries in North West England and North Wales, supporting the UK’s net-zero goals.”
The development includes repurposing offshore platforms and 149 kilometers of pipelines, both onshore and offshore. Additionally, 35 kilometers of new pipelines will connect industrial emitters to the CCS network.
Recently, Eni finalized financial agreements with the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, enabling the project to enter the construction phase. The North Sea Transition Authority also granted Eni three carbon storage permits, allowing for a storage capacity of 109 million tonnes of CO2 over 25 years.