Eni CCUS Holding, jointly owned by Eni and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), part of BlackRock, has completed the installation of the Douglas CCS offshore platform in Liverpool Bay, marking a milestone for the United Kingdom’s HyNet industrial decarbonisation cluster.

The platform is the world’s first purpose-built offshore facility dedicated to carbon capture and storage (CCS) for industrial decarbonisation, according to the company.

It will serve as the offshore hub of the Liverpool Bay carbon dioxide transportation and storage system, receiving CO₂ captured from industrial facilities across North West England and North Wales.

The captured carbon dioxide will be transported through a network of existing offshore pipelines, repurposed for CO₂ transport, to depleted natural gas reservoirs for permanent storage.

The platform was delivered in less than 18 months from contract award through an accelerated programme integrating engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning.

Its infrastructure comprises topside facilities weighing 1,885 tonnes, a supporting jacket structure weighing 1,755 tonnes and eight foundation piles with a combined weight of 730 tonnes.

The project combines newly built infrastructure with existing offshore assets and draws on established knowledge of depleted reservoirs to support the development of the carbon storage network.

Installation of the Douglas CCS platform forms part of a wider construction programme across the Liverpool Bay CCS system, which is approximately 50 per cent complete.

The project is also expected to contribute to the UK economy through domestic supply chains and employment.

Around 60 per cent of total project expenditure is being delivered through UK-based suppliers, supporting more than 2,000 jobs during construction.

The development is expected to create approximately 200 to 300 long-term positions during more than 25 years of operation.

Liverpool Bay CCS is part of Eni CCUS Holding’s portfolio of carbon capture and storage initiatives and represents a key component of its strategy to develop CO₂ transportation and storage infrastructure at scale.

The project aims to help industrial facilities reduce emissions by providing infrastructure for capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide, particularly from sectors where reducing emissions through other measures can be challenging.

The completion of the platform installation marks an important step towards establishing an integrated carbon storage network to support industrial decarbonisation in the UK. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service