Seeing Saipem’s Castorone arrive in the Southern North Sea is an exciting moment for everyone at Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP).
At 325 metres long, the vessel is one of the world’s largest pipelay vessels and will play a vital role in laying the 136km pipeline that will connect industry on Teesside and the Humber, to our Endurance storage site beneath the North Sea. Once complete, this infrastructure will safely transport captured CO₂ for permanent storage, helping support the UK’s journey to net zero.
For us, this milestone is about much more than construction. It’s about creating the infrastructure that can help decarbonise industry, support investment, and build a cleaner future for Teesside, the Humber and the wider UK.
We’re also committed to delivering the project responsibly. During the offshore campaign, Castorone will use almost 3,000 tonnes of marine biofuel, helping to reduce emissions associated with construction activities. At the same time, Sonardyne’s environmental monitoring technology will gather data from the seabed and help us monitor the surrounding marine environment to verify the long-term safety of carbon storage.
The arrival of Castorone is another visible sign of the progress being made across the project. Just a few months ago, we welcomed the arrival of our linepipe into the Port of Hartlepool. Today, that pipe is beginning its journey to the seabed, bringing one of the UK’s first carbon capture and storage networks a step closer to reality.
As offshore construction gets underway, we’re proud to be helping build the infrastructure needed to support industrial decarbonisation and create lasting benefits for future generations.
Rich Denny, Managing Director at Northern Endurance Partnership, said: “Just a few months ago, we welcomed the arrival of our linepipe into the Port of Hartlepool. Today, seeing Castorone arrive in the Southern North Sea to begin laying that linepipe is a powerful reminder of the pace and scale of progress being made.
“This is more than an engineering milestone. It is a significant moment for the East Coast Cluster, for industrial decarbonisation and for the UK’s journey to net zero. The infrastructure we are building has the potential to support jobs, attract investment to the region and help secure a cleaner future for generations to come.
“As we progress this exciting phase of the project, we remain committed to delivering it responsibly. The deployment of advanced environmental monitoring equipment and the use of nearly 3,000 tonnes of marine biofuel during the campaign demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and setting a standard for how CCS projects can be delivered in an environmentally responsible way.”
