Construction Begins on £2bn North West Carbon Capture Project

The UK government has approved the HyNet North West project, a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative centered on Eni's Liverpool Bay CCS, which will transport CO₂ from industrial plants in North West England and North Wales for underground storage in depleted gas fields. The project involves building and upgrading extensive pipeline networks, supporting hydrogen production, and connecting key industrial facilities, with construction now set to begin and operations targeted to start in 2028. Financial closure was announced at the Future of Energy Security Summit, accompanied by a commitment of approximately £2 billion in local supply chain contracts and support for over 2,000 construction jobs. HyNet aims to initially store 4.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, potentially rising to 10 million tonnes in the 2030s, contributing significantly to the UK’s carbon capture targets. The government is backing HyNet and similar initiatives with a total investment of £21.7 billion over 25 years, positioning the region as a leader in clean energy and safeguarding thousands of manufacturing jobs. However, some concerns remain about the limited funding available for other regional carbon capture projects that also sought government support.