Unlocking large-scale CO2 storage: How the UK can turn CCS ambition into delivery

Carbon capture and storage in the UK has long been treated as a future ambition. That phase is over. Projects are now moving from concept to execution and the sector is becoming a live industrial opportunity that demands specialist engineering to deliver at scale.

The shift brings challenges. Legacy well integrity, regulatory alignment and offshore space constraints remain some of the biggest hurdles to scalable UK CO2 storage. That being said the UK is uniquely positioned to overcome them. Its deep geological data, mature infrastructure and emerging technologies, like Aquaterra Energy’s Legacy well re-entry services and its Recoverable Abandonment Frame (RAF) for example, provide a clear pathway to support this growth.

Why CCS momentum in the UK is accelerating

I often say a project isn’t real until someone starts spending money on steelwork – and now they are. Across the UK’s first CO2 storage clusters, activity has shifted from planning to execution.

Major onshore and offshore contracts have now been awarded, as detailed in recent Northern Endurance Partnership updates, marking the shift from planning to delivery backed by UK Government commitments.

With nearly a third of Europe’s CO2 storage hubs capacity in UK waters, the UK is the obvious leader for offshore CO2 storage at scale. Additionally, decades of reservoir mapping, pressure modelling and well data give it one of the world’s most complete offshore datasets, reducing uncertainties for large-scale UK CO2 storage.

Because of this, and its ideal geological conditions in the North Sea, the UK could become the place where other nations send their CO2, generating a market which the CCS association projects could be worth £30bn by 2050. This would not only provide a decarbonisation solution but also create a valuable new industrial sector, positioning the UK as a leader globally generating valuable revenue streams and attracting and retaining talent. Think of it like Sweden’s waste-to-energy system: the country imports waste from neighbours and turns it into jobs, revenue and expertise.

Legacy wells – the biggest challenge to CCS at scale

Currently, legacy wells intersecting potential storage sites are the biggest bottleneck to large-scale carbon capture and storage in the UK. Conventional approaches are slow, costly and uncertain. Many wells were abandoned decades ago and must be re-entered and permanently plugged before CO2 injection can begin. Without a systematic way to re-enter and seal these wells, they risk becoming leakage pathways that could block scalable UK CO2 storage and undermine the safety and reliability of offshore CO2 injection.

Addressing legacy well integrity is therefore critical to turning CCS ambition into real, operational capacity. However, each well presents a unique combination of historical design, current condition and access constraints, meaning that while standardised technologies and repeatable methodologies are essential for scale, they must be applied with a clear understanding of individual well context.

New engineering approaches enabling scalable CO2 storage 

Experience across the full project lifecycle from initial appraisal and engineering through to execution is essential to managing technical risk while maintaining safety and cost efficiency. Approaches that address well access limitations, supported by flexible deployment models and proven equipment solutions, enable safe, cost-effective delivery. Recent advances in recoverable well access and intervention systems demonstrate how these challenges can be addressed in practice.

Our patent-pending Recoverable Abandonment Frame (RAF) has been developed to support legacy well remediation in a CCS context where conventional access options may be limited.  As part of a vertical well re-entry system, the RAF has potential to enable 80% cost reductions and 50% time savings in well re-abandonment, increasing the commercial and environmental viability of offshore CCS and hydrogen storage.

These benefits are reflected in its inclusion in the Net Zero Technology Centre’s CCS Wells Transition Roadmap and its selection by the Northern Endurance Partnership for the UK’s first approved offshore CCS project. By reducing costs, risks and timelines, it could help unlock 390-750 GT of CO2 storage capacity to fulfil projected demand for 1 GT of annual CO2 storage to reach net zero.

Integrating CCS with the UK’s decommissioning agenda

The latest Wells Insights Report from the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) published October 2025 highlights more than 500 wells remain past their target dates. The report also forecasts that around 1,700 wells could be inactive by the end of 2030 pending final abandonment – showing a  growing mismatch between operator demand and supply chain capacity.

CCS offers a way to change that equation. Repurposing wells and infrastructure for offshore CO2 injection can turn sunken decommissioning costs into long-term productive assets. At Denmark’s Project Greensand, for example, Aquaterra Energy has been involved in analysing platform repurposing for CCS injection, a model that shows how existing assets can be given a second life, which could be adapted for the UK.

CCS and decommissioning can also reinforce each other. Techniques developed for CCS well re-entry can reduce time and risk in decommissioning, while decades of decommissioning experience provide CCS with proven processes and skilled teams. Together, they strengthen supply chains, stabilise vessel utilisation and support an expert North Sea workforce.

The industrial future of CCS in the UK

By solving technical challenges through live projects, repurposing assets rather than retiring them and applying decades of offshore engineering expertise, the UK is turning today’s constraints into long-term infrastructure.

If delivered well, the impact goes beyond only emissions reduction. CO2 storage will become a durable infrastructure market, supporting skilled jobs, resilient supply chains and exportable capability. The same workforce that built the North Sea’s oil and gas sector now has the opportunity to shape its next chapter, positioning the UK as a global leader in safe, scalable UK CO2 storage.

Contact our team or explore our CCS solutions services supported by decades of offshore engineering expertise and a comprehensive suite of services to deliver the offshore infrastructure of today and tomorrow.

Key takeaways / featured snippet Q&As:

Q: Why is carbon capture and storage in the UK advancing quickly?
A: CCS in the UK is moving from ambition to execution. Funded storage clusters, major onshore and offshore contract awards and the development of the first CO2 storage wells show that projects are now entering real delivery, with engineering activity and supply chains mobilising offshore.

Q: Why is the UK positioned to lead in CO2 storage?
A: The UK holds one of the most comprehensively understood offshore basins in Europe, supported by decades of reservoir mapping, pressure modelling and well data. Combined with a skilled offshore workforce and repurposable infrastructure, this gives the UK a clear advantage in scaling CO2 storage.

Q: What makes legacy wells a challenge for CCS?
A: Many legacy wells intersect potential storage sites and were drilled and abandoned long before CO2 storage was considered. Unless they are safely re-entered and permanently plugged, they can become leakage pathways that threaten storage integrity and limit the scalability of offshore CCS.

Q: How can CCS and decommissioning work together?
A: CCS can repurpose wells and infrastructure that would otherwise be decommissioned, turning sunk costs into productive assets. At the same time, techniques developed for CCS well re-entry can reduce time, cost and risk in decommissioning, strengthening shared supply chains and workforce utilisation.

Q: What is the long-term opportunity for UK CCS?
A: CO2 storage has the potential to become a long-term UK infrastructure market, supporting skilled jobs, resilient offshore supply chains and exportable engineering expertise, while positioning the UK as a leading European hub for safe, scalable CO2 storage.

 

Bibliography:

Aquaterra Energy (2024). Aquaterra Energy lands platform repurposing contract for trailblazing Project Greensand. [Online]. Available here

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Aquaterra Energy. CCS engineering services. [Online]. Available here

Aquaterra Energy (2025). Aquaterra Energy wins landmark contracts for Northern Endurance Partnership, the UK’s first permitted offshore carbon storage project. [Online]. Available here

Northern Endurance Partnership (2025). Northern Endurance Partnership welcomes UK Government support for CCS. [Online]. Available here

North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) (2025). Wells Insights Report 2025. [Online]. Available here

Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) (2025). CCSA research reveals UK carbon capture sector at a critical juncture as project pipeline grows but policy uncertainty slows progress. [Online]. Available here

Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) (2025). UK–EU ETS linkage paves the way for cross-border CO₂ transport and storage. [Online]. Available here

UK Parliament Committees (2025). Written evidence. [Online]. Available here

UK Government. UK carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS). [Online]. Available here

UK Government (2025). Industrial Strategy Policy Paper. [Online]. Available here

UK Government. CCUS infrastructure data (Power BI). [Online]. Available here

About the author:

George Morrison is the CEO of Aquaterra Energy and a leading expert in repurposing offshore assets and delivering scalable CCS infrastructure across the North Sea. George has been with AE since its formation in 2005 and played a pivotal role in guiding the company’s expansion into offshore wind, green hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage in 2020.