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HyNet North West: CO₂ storage in the UK

The first low GHG emissions industrial cluster in the world under development in the Liverpool Bay which we are involved in for CCS activities.

The data on the page will be updated with the presentation of the Strategic Plan 2023-2026.

Low emissions industries thanks to CCS

The HyNet North West project involves transforming one of the most energy-intensive industrial areas of the UK, in the Liverpool Bay area on the northwest coast, in the first carbon dioxide low emissions industrial cluster in the world. The key element will be Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) or the geological storage of CO₂. Through the reconversion of existing infrastructure, carbon dioxide emitted by industries in the northwest of England and north Wales will be captured and permanently stored in exhausted hydrocarbon fields, more specifically Eni UK's Hamilton, North Hamilton, and Lennox offshore fields. The CO₂ captured from the production plants onshore will be transported to the storage reservoirs through a pipeline, for safe, long-term storage. This will significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the Liverpool Bay industrial area and develop a hydrogen supply chain with low carbon emissions.

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Project development and success in the UK Government's tender

In October 2020 the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) awarded us a six-year licence to use our offshore fields in the Liverpool Bay as permanent storage for CO₂. In March 2021 the project received £33 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), through its Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge (IDC) fund. The funding covers around 50% of the investment required to complete the ongoing engineering studies. In July 2021 Eni UK, in its role as the leader of the consortium that will develop the integrated HyNet North West project, submitted documentation to participate in the first tender held by the UK Government for Cluster Sequencing for Carbon Capture Usage and Storage Deployment: Phase 1. The tender was successful and in October 2021 HyNet was listed as a CCUS project in Track 1. This success is particularly important for two reasons: because it allows activities to start up before 2025 and because it enables Eni UK and the consortium partners to access the Carbon Capture Storage Infrastructure Fund (CCFI), a public fund that provides £1 billion in grants for the implementation of four CO₂. capture and storage projects, totalling around 10 million tonnes per year by 2030. More specifically, the process involves two tranches with different start-up times, one by 2025 (Track 1 projects), and one by 2027 (Track 2 projects). This fund is part of the broader £12 billion investment plan envisaged in the Ten Point Plan presented in November 2020 by the UK Government with the aim of leading the UK towards energy transition and promoting the Green Industrial Revolution. In February 2022, Eni UK announced that it had signed a total of 19 Memoranda of Understanding with companies interested in capturing, transporting and storing their emissions through HyNet North West, confirming UK industry’s considerable interest in the decarbonisation potential offered by the initiative. In November 2022, Eni UK's pipeline, where the transport of CO2 emissions will take place, entered the "pre-appraisal" phase of the authorisation process, prior to the public assessment that will take place in early 2023. The final decision will be made by the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This is a significant step forward for the Liverpool Bay CCS project. HyNet will be able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 million tonnes per year by 2030, a quarter of all emissions in the North West.

Eni leads the Consortium

HyNet North West is promoted and developed by a multi-partner consortium which Eni leads through Eni UK, together with Progressive Energy, Cadent, CF Fertilisers, Essar, Hanson, INOVYN (part of INEOS Group) and the University of Chester. As regards Eni, we are the operator of CO2 transport and storage activities, both onshore and offshore. The project is actively supported by the UK Government, as achieving the country's 2050 net zero emissions target is considered essential. In addition to its importance for the path towards decarbonisation, the initiative will actively contribute to the region’s economic well-being both through the activation of new job opportunities linked to the new facilities, and through the area’s increased competitiveness linked to the possibility for companies to reduce their emissions through CCS.

Claudio Descalzi

The UK Government has recognised the importance of the contribution that the HyNet project can make to the decarbonisation of pivotal activities in the country. This decision demonstrates once again that carbon capture, use and storage technology is an important solution that is safe, effective and immediately available.

Claudio Descalzi (Eni’s CEO)
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HyNet North West: CCS and hydrogen for decarbonisation

The integrated project will deliver the UK's first carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure and develop a low carbon hydrogen supply chain.

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Low carbon hydrogen

In a second phase, HyNet North West is also developing a low emission hydrogen supply chain, through the integration of existing natural gas plants with CCS activities. In this way, emissions from hydrogen production cycles will also be captured and stored in exhausted hydrocarbon offshore fields. The resulting hydrogen will be low carbon and will be distributed as a transitional fuel to supply industries, heat homes, produce electricity and power transport. In total, the project aims to reach about 40% of the UK's 10GW * target of low-emission hydrogen. 

*In April 2022, the UK government doubled its hydrogen production target, raising it to 10 GW from 5 GW.

Obiettivi per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (SDGs)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a blueprint signed by the 193 member countries of the UN in September 2015 which covers 17 goals aimed at the socio-economic development of communities and territories. The carbon dioxide storage project gives us the opportunity to contribute to the promotion of actions to combat climate change (Goal 13).

Safety first

Safety in the workplace is an imperative value we want to share with our employees, contractors and local stakeholders. We are committed to eliminate accidents and protect the integrity of our assets. We consolidate a culture of safety through management and organization models, digital tools and communication initiatives. Our goal is strengthening the awareness of our people and their sense of responsibility toward themselves and others, by expanding HSE tools and digitalization to make corporate processes safer, more efficient and faster. 

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HyNet North West: protecting biodiversity in the UK

Still in the Liverpool Bay area, since 1995 we have been bringing to life different initiatives to protect the area around Talacre.

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