Offshore staff
LONDON – Britain’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has awarded Eni UK a carbon dioxide (CO2) appraisal and storage license in the East Irish Sea off northwest England.
It covers an area within Liverpool Bay. Eni plans to repurpose depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs at the Hamilton, Hamilton North and Lennox fields, plus related infrastructure, to permanently store CO2 captured locally in England and North Wales.
Eni aims to be part of a collaboration with industrial companies to capture and transport CO2 from existing industries and future hydrogen production sites for fuel switching, heating, power and transportation, in line with the UK government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.
The CS license carries a six-year ‘appraisal term’, covering assessments and planning that may lead to a subsequent application to the OGA for a storage permit, and associated approvals prior to start-up of CO2 storage operations.
Dr Andy Samuel, chief executive of the OGA said: “The energy integration work we’ve been leading shows that the combination of various energy systems, including carbon capture and hydrogen, can make a significant contribution to the UK’s net zero 2050 target.
“HyNet is an exciting example of energy integration in action – re-using existing infrastructure and depleted reservoirs for significant carbon storage, coupled with hydrogen generation for a variety of innovative uses.”
10/08/2020
