HyNet North West, CO₂ capture and storage arrives in Liverpool

The HyNet North West project will capture carbon dioxide produced by land-based industrial plants and store it permanently and safely in depleted gas fields in the Irish Sea. Thanks to Carbon Capture and Storage of CO2 (CCS), one of the country's most energy-intensive manufacturing districts will become the world's first low-emission industrial cluster.

In the United Kingdom, we are leaders in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. We are the lead company in the consortium delivering the HyNet North West project and have strengthened our role as the UK's leading CCS operator with the UK Government's announcement of an extension to the project and a national strategy to promote the competitiveness of CCUS. In addition, we have launched the new Bacton Thames Net Zero initiative in the southern North Sea of the United Kingdom, which will develop a CCS project to contribute to the decarbonization of the Bacton area and the Thames estuary.

Project features

Start date: 2020 - under development

United Kingdom

Carbon management
Carbon management

Eni UK

EET Hydrogen

Heidelberg Materials 

Encyclis

Viridor 

Eni UK

Progressive Energy 

Essar Oil UK

Viridor 

University of Chester

Buxton Lime Net Zero 

Project development and operation

Use of depleted gas fields

Carbon dioxide emitted by industrial plants in the North West of England and North Wales will be captured and permanently stored in depleted hydrocarbon fields in the Irish Sea. In this way, thanks to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, the HyNet North West project will transform one of the most energy-intensive districts in the UK into the world's first low greenhouse gas emission manufacturing district. CO2 storage activities are scheduled to start in the middle of the current decade. Specifically, Eni UK's depleted Hamilton, Hamilton North  and Lennox offshore fields will be used. The project will also develop a low emission hydrogen supply chain by integrating existing natural gas plants with CCS activities.  

Eni leads the Consortium

HyNet North West is promoted and developed by a multi-partner consortium which Eni leads through Eni UK. Eni is the operator of both onshore and offshore transport and offshore storage of CO2 that is generated by the five industrial emitters selected by the UK government.

Highlights
4,5 Mln
ton/y

annual CO₂ storage potential from the second half of the current decade


10 Mln
ton/y

annual CO₂ storage potential after 2030


40%
about

contribution to UK’s low carbon hydrogen target


33 Mln
£ 

in funding provided by the UK authorities (2021), of which 21 are Eni’s share 


350 K

jobs preserved in hard-to-abate industries thanks to HyNet  


17 Bln
£

economic value created in the UK until 2050


4,5 Mln
ton/y

annual CO₂ storage potential from the second half of the current decade

10 Mln
ton/y

annual CO₂ storage potential after 2030

40%
about

contribution to UK’s low carbon hydrogen target

33 Mln
£ 

in funding provided by the UK authorities (2021), of which 21 are Eni’s share 

350 K

jobs preserved in hard-to-abate industries thanks to HyNet  

17 Bln
£

economic value created in the UK until 2050

Expand Reduce

The project's development

The main steps towards the completion of HyNet North West.

March

2024

October

2023

March

2023

October

2021

October

2020

Authorisation for HyNet North West CO₂ transport network

The Development Consent Order (DCO) by the Secretary of State for the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will allow the transport of captured CO₂.

Agreement in principle with DESNZ UK

Agreement in principle reached on key terms and conditions relating to the economic, regulatory and governance model for CO₂ transport and storage in the HyNet North West CCS cluster.

Track 1 project negotiation list

The UK government selects the 5 capture projects that will supply CO2 to HyNet.

Project inclusion in Track 1 with start-up by 2025

Eni UK announces that HyNet has been included as a CCUS project in Track 1 in the UK Government's tender process.

Storage licence

The NSTA North Sea Transition Authority (ex OGA) awarded the CO2 storage licence to Eni UK.

Liverpool Bay: we protect the environment by preserving biodiversity

Last update: 17 April 2024


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