27th March 2026, Teesside – px Group, the Teesside-based, global operations and maintenance (O&M) specialist, has been awarded a major contract by NZT Power and Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) to safely operate and maintain two critical facilities at the centre of the UK’s first commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. The contract covers NZT Power’s carbon capture plant and NEP’s full onshore CO₂ compression facility on Teesside, assets that together form the operational backbone of the UK’s emerging net zero industrial infrastructure.
Under the initial five-year agreement, px Group will recruit and employ an on-site team of around 100 people locally, including apprentices, to take both sites from commissioning through to sustained, safe operations. The contract is one of the most significant industrial O&M appointments in Teesside’s recent history, and a major step forward in px Group’s position as a leading O&M partner for net zero and low-carbon industrial projects.
Across both NZT Power and NEP sites, px Group will hold responsibility for meeting the safety and environmental permit conditions, establishing robust operating procedures, and maintaining the rigorous safety culture that operating live carbon capture and CO₂ compression infrastructure demands.
px Group will support commissioning and handover phases, developing the site-specific operating model, managing performance acceptance, and maintaining full operational safety standard. Once in steady operations, px Group will lead the ongoing engineering and maintenance programme to ensure both facilities run safely, reliably and in full compliance with regulatory requirements.
Around 100 roles will be recruited locally from Teesside, with a deliberate focus on apprenticeships and long-term career development. px Group will partner with Cogent Skills, specialists in science and technology workforce development, to deliver structured training and qualifications for the new team, building a skilled workforce capable of supporting not just these facilities, but the wider wave of net zero infrastructure investment coming to the region.
The contract is also expected to generate broader local economic benefit through ongoing engagement of regional suppliers for materials and maintenance services, reinforcing px Group’s long-standing commitment to Teesside’s industrial communities.
px Group has operated on Teesside for more than 25 years and recently expanded its footprint in the region, relocating to Boaz House on Teesdale Business Park, Stockton-on-Tees, where it now occupies more than 30,000 sq ft of office space. This latest contract appointment builds on that deep local heritage and positions px Group as a cornerstone employer and operator in Teesside’s net zero future.
Geoff Holmes, CEO, px Group, said: “For more than 25 years, px Group has been part of Teesside, part of its industrial history, its workforce, and its communities. Winning this contract to operate and maintain NZT Power’s carbon capture plant and NEP’s CO₂ compression facility is a significant step forward in our company’s history, and it carries a responsibility we take seriously. Safe operations are non-negotiable on projects like these. We will build a team of around 100 people from this region, invest in their training and development, and create careers, not just jobs. That is what creating a thriving future together means to us not as a slogan, but as a commitment to the people of Teesside who will make this project work every single day. We are proud to stand alongside NZT Power and NEP as they deliver the infrastructure the UK needs to reach net zero, and we are determined to do it to the very highest standards of safety, performance and care for our people.”
Ian Hunter, Managing Director, NZT Power, said: “px Group brings proven experience of running complex industrial facilities. Appointing a regional partner with deep Teesside roots and a strong safety culture reflects our commitment to deliver tangible benefits through local employment, contracting and skills development – alongside the safe, high-performing operations that a project of this importance demands.”
Rich Denny, Managing Director, Northern Endurance Partnership, said: “The safe operation and maintenance of our onshore compression facilities is essential to delivering the UK’s first commercial-scale CO₂ transport and storage system. px Group has demonstrated the right operational expertise, safety culture and local commitment to support the highest standards of performance as we move from build to operations.”
