The United Kingdom has taken a decisive step in accelerating its industrial decarbonisation drive by granting regulatory approval for a major carbon storage infrastructure, reinforcing its commitment to net-zero ambitions.
The North Sea Transition Authority has issued three carbon storage permits to a key private player for the Liverpool Bay Carbon Capture and Storage system, marking the financial close of the core transport and storage components of the HyNet industrial cluster. Located in the East Irish Sea, approximately 20 miles off the coast of Liverpool, the project’s first phase is expected to sequester 109 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 25 years — the equivalent of removing over 60 million cars from British roads for a year.The initiative forms the backbone of the HyNet project, a flagship scheme intended to serve one of the UK’s most carbon-intensive zones across North West England and North Wales. It is poised to capture emissions from major industrial emitters and securely transport them to geological storage, presenting a clear pathway for the country to transition towards a cleaner and more resilient energy ecosystem.
At the heart of this movement is Essar Energy Transition (EET), whose strategic assets and operational scale place it in a pivotal role in enabling hydrogen and carbon-based technologies to scale up rapidly.A central contributor to the HyNet cluster is EET’s Hydrogen Production Plant 1, the UK’s first large-scale low-carbon hydrogen project, which is designed to capture up to 600,000 tonnes of CO2 annually — roughly equal to taking 1.25 lakh cars off the road. The hydrogen facility, with a proposed capacity of 350 MW, will rely on state-of-the-art carbon capture technology, supplying both clean hydrogen and sequestrated carbon to the new infrastructure. The broader ambition is to establish a replicable model for clean energy manufacturing that not only delivers environmental benefits but also revitalises regional economies through green industrialisation.
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Anchoring this transformation is the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, a legacy refinery now being reshaped into a cutting-edge clean energy hub. Stanlow, which has been a critical cog in the UK’s traditional energy supply, is undergoing a multi-pronged transition encompassing electrification, hydrogen fuel integration, and sustainable aviation fuel production. The site alone is expected to facilitate the capture of nearly two million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually while acting as an anchor point for a new generation of low-carbon and high-tech enterprises. It is also strategically positioned to cater to future hydrogen needs, thus playing a central role in the long-term decarbonisation of both industry and transport.
This carbon storage approval reinforces the government’s long-term commitment to supporting industrial transition without compromising economic resilience. The clean energy movement, particularly through landmark ventures like HyNet, is now more than an environmental mandate — it is an industrial renaissance anchored in sustainability, innovation, and regional empowerment. The narrative of the North West is now one of regeneration, where carbon-heavy legacies are being reimagined into climate-positive futures, supporting both the climate agenda and the livelihoods that depend on industrial vitality. As the UK sharpens its focus on carbon neutrality, projects like these offer both proof of progress and promise for the years ahead
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UK approves big carbon storage plan
