Carbon Catalyst receives two licence awards for its Orion Carbon Capture and Storage
(CCS) project
Carbon Catalyst Limited (CCL) acknowledges Perenco UK’s (PUK) announcement issued earlier
today (and reproduced overleaf) regarding the award of two carbon storage licences by the
North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) to progress the Orion carbon storage project in the
Southern North Sea sector of the UK Continental Shelf. CCL is delighted to be partnering with
PUK on this strategically significant mass decarbonisation project.
The two carbon storage licences cover the PUK-operated and decommissioned Amethyst and
depleted West Sole gas fields, respectively. These high-quality geological stores represent the
most geographically proximal offshore storage sites to Humberside, the UK’s largest industrial
cluster, and are directly connected by pipeline to the PUK-operated onshore Dimlington Gas
Terminal.
Orion is expected to play a crucial role in providing additional, cost-effective CO2 transport and
storage services to various industrial and power generation emitters across the broader
Humberside area. The project is planned to be operational by 2031, with initial CO2 injection
rates of 1 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), ramping up to over 6 Mtpa.
Nick Terrell, Executive Director at Carbon Catalyst, commented:
“Orion is strategically positioned to support the accelerated decarbonisation of the
Humberside industrial area, with the project’s storage sites located a mere 46km offshore from
Perenco’s Dimlington gas processing terminal. CCL is looking forward to supporting Perenco
as they advance this important project towards final investment decision, ultimately aiming
for first CO2 injection by 2031.”
Licence award for Perenco’s Orion Carbon Capture and Storage project
Major milestone in project with potential to significantly decarbonise E & SE England
Following the recent carbon storage (CS) licence award by the North Sea Transition Authority
(NSTA) to progress the Poseidon project over the Leman fields, Perenco UK and partner
Carbon Catalyst Ltd (CCL) are pleased to announce that they have been awarded two further
CS licences to progress the Orion carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
The Orion Project is designed to deliver an initial injection capacity of 1 million tonnes per
annum (Mtpa), rising to 6 Mtpa, and commence injection in 2031. The full project
encompasses both the decommissioned Amethyst field and the currently producing West Sole
field, utilising depleted gas reservoirs for the permanent storage within geological formations
of captured carbon dioxide.
Perenco owns and operates significant gas infrastructure in the Humberside area, including its
Dimlington Terminal, and will evaluate the possibility to reuse existing assets, such as strategic
pipelines, to facilitate the project. Orion has the potential to complement other CCS projects
currently in development, providing additional capacity for the decarbonisation of
Humberside and adjacent areas over a 30-year period.
Perenco UK and CCL have also announced the award to progress the Poseidon CCS project,
which encompasses the Leman gas fields. Poseidon is due to come online by 2029 with initial
CO2 injection rates of circa 1.5 Mtpa, ramping up to 40 Mtpa.
The award of the Poseidon and Orion CCS licenses in the UK, with Perenco as operator,
formalises the start of a new strategic division within the Perenco Group. Based in its London
head office, the new Perenco CCS Department is building a team of diverse competencies with
the goal to assess and deliver these and other opportunities for carbon storage projects in the
UK North Sea and internationally.
Commenting on the award of the licences, Jo White, General Manager Perenco UK,
commented:
“Following the recent announcement of the Poseidon Project, today’s news is
another important step in our CCS strategy and our ambition to use our extensive technical
expertise in the gas industry in support of UK’s decarbonisation goals.”