Publication: CCSA's CCUS UK Delivery Plan Update 2025
BackCCUS Delivery Plan update 2025
The CCUS Delivery Plan update 2025 shows that the UK now has its strongest ever pipeline of projects developing carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), but that policy uncertainty is slowing progress, stalling projects and risking investment.
The report provides the 2025 update to the CCSA’s Delivery Plan series and shows that significant momentum has been achieved. The first five major CCUS projects have now reached financial close and entered construction in Teesside and the North-West and North Wales. They are creating local jobs and protecting and future-proofing the UK’s core industries including; cement, energy from waste and low carbon power.
However, there are over 100 other projects in development across the UK, that together can capture and store 77 million tonnes of CO2 per year (77 Mtpa), including over 18mtpa of greenhouse gas removals. This puts the UK on course to meet ambitions in the Government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan and the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget, which make clear that there is no credible route to decarbonisation without CCUS.
The research highlights growing challenges. Since 2023, 27 capture projects have been cancelled or paused. Almost all remaining projects have experienced delays averaging 2 years, with 75% of developers saying they may redirect investment overseas without clearer government policy. Developers point to slow decision-making, delayed funding allocations and a lack of a route to market for projects outside government committed clusters.
To avoid further investment leaving the UK, delivery in 2026 is of utmost importance, and we urge the Government to set out a route to market for the next projects by establishing a clear allocation framework for all CCUS project and clusters and accelerating policies that unlock markets for low-carbon products, carbon removals and CO₂ storage. Unlocking these revenue streams will enable the sector to transition to a self-sustaining market.
Without timely action, the UK risks losing not only vital CCUS projects but also the significant economic benefits they underpin. This includes unlocking private investment in our foundation industries, enhancing energy security, delivering a predicted £94 billion boost to the UK economy, and supporting more than 50,000 jobs by 2050.
