Standing ready to remove almost 50% of the UK’s industrial cluster CO2 emissions
Decarbonising Britain’s historic engine room: The Humber and Teesside.
Enabling industrial carbon capture, low-carbon hydrogen production, negative emissions power, and power with carbon capture
By its strength in diversity, the East Coast Cluster stands ready to remove 50% of the UK’s industrial cluster CO2 emissions, protect thousands of jobs and establish the region as a globally-competitive climate-friendly hub for industry and innovation.
The UK needs to use every possible technology to green our economy. It must decarbonise industry to achieve its target of net zero emissions by 2050. And nearly half of carbon emissions from UK industrial clusters come from Britain’s historic engine room: Teesside and the Humber.
The East Coast Cluster is now actively bringing together communities, business, industry and academia to deliver the carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure needed to decarbonise this key industrial heartland of the UK.
Now selected as one of the first two carbon capture, usage and storage clusters to be taken forward by the UK government, the East Coast Cluster includes an unparalleled and diverse mix of low-carbon projects, including industrial carbon capture, low-carbon hydrogen production, negative emissions power, and power with carbon capture. All these technologies, delivered by companies with unrivalled experience in successfully delivering ambitious and world changing projects, are essential for the UK to meet its net zero targets.
Britain’s historic engine room, The Humber and Teesside, will benefit from an influx of green jobs, skills development and supply chain benefits.
In March 2023, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) selected 3 East Coast Cluster projects – Net Zero Teesside Power, H2Teesside and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture - who will connect first to the cluster from 2027.
In December 2024 Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the CO2 transportation and storage provider for the East Coast Cluster, announced financial close, giving the green light to proceed to the execution phase of the UK’s first CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure network that will serve three initial carbon capture projects on Teesside: NZT Power, H2Teesside and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture.
NEP expects to commence construction from the middle of 2025 with start-up expected in 2028. The infrastructure includes a CO2 gathering network and onshore compression facilities as well as a 145km offshore pipeline and subsea injection and monitoring facilities for the Endurance saline aquifer located around 1000m below the seabed. The infrastructure will transport and permanently store up to an initial 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
Future expansion of the East Coast Cluster across Teesside and the Humber could enable the transportation and permanent storage of up to an average of around 23 million tonnes of CO2 per year from future selected carbon capture projects – helping the East Coast Cluster create and support an average of 25,000 jobs per year.
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The East Coast Cluster will be enabled by the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the partnership between bp, Equinor and TotalEnergies developing the common infrastructure needed to transport CO2 from emitters across the Humber and Teesside to secure offshore storage in the Endurance aquifer in the Southern North Sea. The Northern Endurance Partnership serves as the operator of the full, end-to-end CO2 transport and storage system serving Teesside and the Humber.
Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the carbon dioxide transportation and storage infrastructure provider for the East Coast Cluster is progressing the engineering design of the Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline (HCCP) project. This pipeline will offer carbon emitting sites across the region the opportunity to capture their carbon emissions and transport them for safe offshore storage. This infrastructure is important to achieve net zero in the Humber – the UK’s most carbon intensive industrial region.
NEP intends to progress an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline project, in line with the next phase of the UK Government’s Cluster Sequencing Process to select carbon capture projects, which could connect to the pipeline. Before this application is submitted, NEP is undertaking public consultation, with those affected by the proposals, including landowners and nearby residents.
The first round of consultation began on the 9th of July 2024 and closed on the 20th of August 2024. People living and working in the Humber region are encouraged to give feedback via the following webpage: https://nephccp.co.uk/
For more information on the HCCP, please contact info@nephccp.co.uk
Managing Director, Net Zero Teesside and Northern Endurance Partnership
“Together, as the East Coast Cluster, we are determined to make CCUS a reality in the UK and decarbonise a diverse region that represents almost 50% of carbon emissions from all UK clusters. We stand ready to support the UK, as President of COP26, in showing global leadership and building momentum in the energy transition through innovation and exciting green jobs, positioning the UK as a leader in the emerging global low-carbon and hydrogen market.”
CBE (Convening Chair of NEECCo)
“If we want to achieve net zero in the North East, we need carbon capture as a key part of that strategy - and the East Coast Cluster proposals provide a way of doing that. 200 years ago, the North East engineers released the genie of coal into the world. Now, 200 years on, the North East engineers have the opportunity through the ECC to lead the nation’s response to the climate emergency.“
Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
“It’s time for the UK to match its ambitions with its policies and projects to tackle climate change. I’m delighted that Humber and Teesside regions are working together to create an East Coast Cluster. By sharing storage 2 miles under the North Sea for their carbon emissions, we can cut emissions cost-effectively from an unparalleled range of projects.“
NEP is formed and submits bid for funding through UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge
NEP, NZT and ZCH consortia all awarded finding from UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge
Submission of East Coast Cluster bid into Track-1, Phase-1 of UK Government’s Cluster sequencing process, and public webinar
East Coast Cluster selected in Track-1 of the UK Government’s Cluster Sequencing Process
Individual decarbonisation projects within the East Coast Cluster submit bids into phase two of the Government’s Cluster Sequencing Process
Phase-2 projects shortlisted
14 projects within the cluster shortlisted to proceed to a due diligence stage
DESNZ selected 3 projects for first connection to ECC by 2027. DESNZ committed to ECC expansion with details to be published late 2023
Northern Endurance Partnership and UK Government agree ‘Heads of Terms’ of business models for the East Coast Cluster.
Northern Endurance Partnership and NZT Power announce financial close
Northern Endurance Partnership and NZT Power start up expected in 2028.
The East Coast Cluster aims to capture and store an average 23mtpa of CO2 from mid 2030s.
Collaboration accelerates progress. The Northern Endurance Partnership was formed to develop the carbon dioxide transport and storage infrastructure to serve a diverse range of businesses in the Teesside and Humber regions.
Thank you for showing an interest in the East Coast Cluster.
For all media inquiries please call 07825977265 or email Eastcoastcluster@hkstrategies.com
For inquiries related to Phase 2 of the DESNZ sequencing process, please email Phase2@eastcoastcluster.co.uk
Please follow the Projects on Twitter (Zero Carbon Humber and Net Zero Teesside) and LinkedIn (Net Zero Teesside and Zero Carbon Humber) for news and developments.
