The Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) is developing the onshore and offshore infrastructure needed to transport CO₂ from carbon capture projects across Teesside and the Humber – collectively known as the East Coast Cluster – to secure storage under the North Sea. This infrastructure is crucial to achieving net zero in the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial regions.

NEP, via the Endurance saline aquifer and adjacent stores, has access to up to 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ storage capacity. The Endurance aquifer is a large, well-characterised reservoir in the southern North Sea, and CO₂ injection into saline aquifers has been proven worldwide as a safe and secure concept. NEP holds a storage licence for the Endurance Store, as well as three expansion licences that allow for appraisal of up to five stores in total.

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.

Construction is due to begin in 2025, and more than 50% of the £4 billion announced for engineering, procurement and construction contracts will be delivered through the UK supply chain. The East Coast Cluster and NEP together are enabling thousands of high-quality construction jobs locally and have the potential to support an average of 25,000 jobs per year between 2027 and 2050.

The NEP’s work is an essential and integral component of the UK’s strategy for achieving its net-zero targets and is supported by the government via the Transport & Storage Regulatory Investment (TRI) regime – a framework that unlocks private investment in long-term infrastructure by providing incentives and protections in developing a nascent CCUS market.