9th June 2025 – The Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the CO₂ transportation and storage provider for the East Coast Cluster, has awarded a series of significant offshore contracts to four UK-based companies to support the next phase of its carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, taking advantage of the UK’s extensive industrial expertise to deliver vital net zero projects.
Following financial close in December 2024, NEP is now advancing through the execution phase, which will support three initial carbon capture projects on Teesside: NZT Power, H2Teesside, and Teesside Hydrogen CO₂ Capture. The site is being prepared for construction activities, with start-up planned for 2028.
The four companies being contracted to deliver the world-leading East Coast Cluster include:
Sonardyne will provide baseline environmental monitoring services at key locations above and around the Endurance storage site—a deep saline aquifer located 145 km off the Teesside coast, where captured CO₂ will be stored. Monitoring will begin in summer 2026 and run for two years, establishing a critical environmental baseline ahead of CO₂ injection.
Aquaterra Energy has secured two contracts for offshore engineering services. The first covers the safe re-abandonment of two legacy wells using a vertical well re-entry tieback technique that enhances operational efficiency and ensures the integrity of long-term storage. The second contract provides seabed-to-surface access systems for six new subsea CO₂ injection wells.
Noble Corporation has been awarded a drilling contract by bp, acting as operator on behalf of NEP, for the use of the Noble Innovator rig. The scope includes drilling six confirmed CO₂ injection wells, with an option for two additional wells. Drilling operations are expected to begin in Q3 2026.
Expro has been awarded a contract for the delivery of integrated well testing services for two wells in the Endurance reservoir for future CCS suitability, using capabilities and technologies from its well testing, fluid sampling and analysis, and subsea business segments.
NEP Managing Director, Rich Denny, said “These contract awards represent a major milestone in delivering the UK’s offshore carbon capture and storage infrastructure, advancing our mission to decarbonise the East Coast industrial heartland and helping the UK meet its net zero targets. As we progress through the execution phase, we remain committed to supporting the UK supply chain, creating jobs, and fostering skills development across the country.”
The NEP infrastructure includes a CO₂ gathering network and onshore compression facilities, as well as a 145 km offshore pipeline and subsea injection and monitoring systems for the Endurance saline aquifer, located around 1,000 metres below the seabed. The infrastructure will transport and permanently store up to an initial 4 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.
NEP is an incorporated joint venture established solely to develop and operate CO₂ transportation and storage infrastructure on behalf of its shareholders—bp, Equinor, and TotalEnergies.
