FAQs

The Liverpool Bay CO₂ T&S Project encompasses the infrastructure to serve the HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster in north west England and north Wales. It will enable the safe transportation and permanent storage of captured CO₂ emissions from industrial emitters.

Currently, it comprises:

• Existing offshore depleted natural gas reservoirs under Liverpool Bay
• The Point of Ayr (PoA) Terminal
• Existing gas pipelines, which are to be repurposed to transport CO₂
• The Main Onshore Pipeline (currently under construction)
• Three spur pipelines that will connect industrial emitters to the Main Onshore Pipeline:
  • The Protos Spur Pipeline
  • The Padeswood Spur Pipeline
  • The Runcorn Spur Pipeline

The HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster represents a collection of world-leading organisations coming together to build a game-changing energy network, which aims to reduce carbon emissions from industry, and support economic growth in the north west of England and north Wales in the UK’s challenge to meet net zero carbon emissions.

Liverpool Bay CCS Limited (LBCCS) is leading the development of the Liverpool Bay CO₂ Transportation and Storage (T&S) Project to serve the HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster. The Liverpool Bay T&S Project will operate as the backbone of the HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster to transport CO₂ from capture plants across the north west of England and north Wales through new and repurposed infrastructure to safe and permanent storage in depleted natural gas reservoirs located underneath the seabed in Liverpool Bay. This has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions from industry by up to 10 million tonnes every year by the 2030s – the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.

HyNet’s aims and principles for the transportation and storage of CO₂ have been backed by the UK Government’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), highlighted by the government’s announcement in October 2024 of £21.7 billion funding in support of carbon capture clusters in the UK, including HyNet.

HyNet will also deliver a low carbon hydrogen network that will produce, store and distribute hydrogen to decarbonise the north west of England and north Wales. More information on the HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster can be found here.

LBCCS is the owner and operator of the Liverpool Bay CO₂ T&S Project which serves the HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster.

LBCCS will be responsible for the development and operation of the HyNet Carbon Dioxide Pipeline, known as the Main Onshore Pipeline, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project which was granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in March 2024.

LBCCS is responsible for the development of the Spur Pipeline Proposed Developments, which link industry to the Main Onshore Pipeline and on to secure storage sites in depleted offshore natural gas reservoirs underneath Liverpool Bay.

LBCCS is also responsible for elements of the development of the PoA Terminal, a key strategic site. As part of this transformation, two major workstreams are now underway:

• the cable route foreshore works (for which LBCCS is responsible, a member of the Eni SpA Group); and
• the decommissioning and site preparation works (for which Eni UK is responsible, a subsidiary of the Eni SpA Group).

These developments focus on preparing the PoA Terminal and surrounding Colliery area for future CO₂ transportation and storage operations.

The gas reservoirs in Liverpool Bay are now depleted and oil and gas production has ceased. The reservoirs are uniquely placed close to the industrial heartland of the north west of England and north Wales to make them the ideal storage site for the HyNet Cluster. The gas fields beneath Liverpool Bay provide safe, long-term CO₂ storage for up to 25 years.

Depleted gas reservoirs have held natural gas for geological time which makes them an excellent solution for CCS. As the owner and operator of the Liverpool Bay gas reservoirs, LBCCS, a member of the Eni SpA Group, has managed the reservoirs for many years. Our expertise in this field makes us the best placed partner to lead the CO₂ T&S Project supporting the HyNet Cluster.

Reusing existing natural gas infrastructure for CO₂ transport and storage minimises the capital cost of the Liverpool Bay CO2 T&S Project. Typically, operators and Government both share the costs of decommissioning oil and gas assets. By repurposing the depleted gas reservoirs, LBCCS negates the need to decommission them, significantly reducing the burden on UK taxpayers. The proximity within the north west of England to sites for CO₂ storage means this is the lowest-cost CCS solution in the UK.

You can find out more by visiting: www.hynet.co.uk or following HyNet on its social media channels:

• hynet_nw on Instagram
• HyNet North West on Facebook
• @HyNetNW on X
• HyNet on LinkedIn

If a development is considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), it undergoes the process set out under Planning Act 2008 – all other planning applications undergo the process set out under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) 1990 (as amended).

As the Spur Pipeline Proposed Developments and the Point of Ayr (PoA) Cable Route Foreshore and Decommissioning Works are not considered NSIPs, the Local Councils (Flintshire County Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Halton Borough Council) are responsible for assessing the planning applications and determining a decision against the criteria of the TCPA 1990.

The HyNet Carbon Dioxide Pipeline, known as the Main Onshore Pipeline, is classified as an NSIP and was granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in March 2024.

Detailed information on the project and updates on our progress can be found on our website www.hynethub.co.uk. You may also like to receive our regular newsletter, which features the latest information on the T&S Project. Sign up for the newsletter by clicking here.

As our projects develop, we will add further information to the HyNet Hub. We are committed to making project information accessible to all users. If you have any specific project questions, or suggestions regarding the accessibility of this site, please email us on hello@hynethub.co.uk.

If you have any questions or comments, please email us on hello@hynethub.co.uk or call us at 0113 395 4495 (Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, except bank holidays).

We will manage your data in line with UK Data Protection Guidelines, see how we will use and store your data here.

Our projects and proposals will help support thousands of new jobs in the north west of England and north Wales and will secure the long-term future of existing jobs. There will also be greater career opportunities for local people, tapping into the area’s blend of industrial experience and scientific expertise, which together will create a hotspot for innovation and growth.

To maximise the benefit to local communities, we will continue to work with local suppliers where possible. Our procurement processes will consider suppliers with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings to ensure that design and construction have minimal environmental and community impact.

The benefits for the local community include:

• Educational experiences for young people
• Work experience for those considering their options
• Apprenticeships and career opportunities
• Community funding for environmental, health and educational initiatives
• Volunteering from the project team to help local initiatives

We will provide further information on the Community Benefit Fund, including how local groups and organisations can apply, soon.

To begin rapid decarbonisation, HyNet is focused on working quickly to reduce harmful carbon emissions from local industry and clean up air quality in the region using Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

CCS is a safe and proven technology that captures CO₂ where it is being produced and locks it away, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere, where it is a major contributor to climate change.

Liverpool Bay CCS Limited (LBCCS) will safely transport CO₂ emissions directly captured from energy-intensive industries, via the Main Onshore Pipeline and the three spur pipelines, and store these emissions securely in depleted oil and gas reservoirs under the seabed in Liverpool Bay. These technologies have the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by 10 million tonnes every year by the 2030s – the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.

As part of the wider HyNet Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster, we conducted a detailed payback calculation to determine the time required for the CO₂ emissions generated during the project’s delivery to be offset by its operation. We found that if HyNet stores 10 million tonnes of carbon annually, the emissions from the project’s delivery would be offset in four days of operation.

We have a dedicated landowner engagement team who work to engage with landowners potentially impacted by any T&S Project.

Should you have any questions or concerns about how the Liverpool Bay CO2 T&S Project may impact your land, please contact us at hello@hynethub.co.uk or call us at 0113 395 4495 (Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, except bank holidays).

Oil and gas operators are used to ensuring the highest safety standards in their operations. The transition to CCS will be approached in the same way. Any CCS project, its infrastructure and operation, will be strictly regulated by the UK Government.

Throughout all the phases of operation, CO₂ transportation, injection and its safe containment within the reservoir will be carefully monitored using state of the art techniques (including, but not limited to, geophysical surveys, pressure sensors, seabed surveys and dedicated monitoring wells).