The Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) project is being delivered in partnership with Saipem, a leading company in the engineering and construction of major projects for the energy and infrastructure sectors.
A spokesperson said: “The arrival of linepipe joints at the Saipem Logistics facility signals the start of a major construction programme that will create the infrastructure needed to transport captured carbon emissions from industry across Teesside and the Humber for safe and permanent storage beneath the North Sea. The pipes will be used by Saipem to construct a 149km-long 28-inch offshore pipeline, with associated landfall, forming a vital part of the network that will carry carbon dioxide from local industrial facilities to offshore storage sites deep beneath the seabed. The campaign represents a historic step forward for the UK’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry and the development of one of the country’s biggest decarbonisation projects.”
More than 60 per cent of the linepipe joints have been manufactured at Hartlepool’s Liberty Steel pipe mill – now operated by Corinth Pipeworks – protecting around 150 skilled jobs and creating a further 35 roles, including apprenticeship opportunities.
Together with Net Zero Teesside Power, the project is expected to support around 3,000 jobs and has already awarded more than £2 billion of contracts to over 260 UK-based companies – ensuring the economic benefits of the energy transition are felt across the country.
PD Ports and Saipem are central to the successful delivery of the offshore construction campaign, with the Port of Hartlepool serving as a strategic hub for the handling and mobilisation of materials that will help establish the UK’s first carbon dioxide transportation and storage network.
Furthermore, more than £1 million has already been invested in pipe handling equipment at the Port of Hartlepool to strengthen PD Ports’ pipe handling capabilities, both for the project and for its wider customer base.
Once operational, the Northern Endurance Partnership network is expected to be capable of transporting and storing up to 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. If fully realised, that would be equivalent to around 20 per cent of the UK’s annual carbon dioxide emissions, making NEP a necessary piece of infrastructure in the country’s journey towards net zero.
Rich Denny, Managing Director of Northern Endurance Partnership, said: “Seeing the first pipes arrive in Hartlepool is a huge milestone for NEP and a clear sign that construction of this nationally significant project is now underway. The infrastructure we are building will enable industries across Teesside and the Humber to reduce their emissions while continuing to grow, invest and create jobs. This work demonstrates the scale of ambition that exists in our region and the vital role it will play in delivering the UK’s first carbon dioxide transportation and storage network.”
Paul Foreman, Chief Operating Officer at PD Ports, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation project for Teesside, an opportunity to redefine the region’s industrial future. PD Ports is proud to play a role as a key enabler in the project, using decades of operational experience across offshore, energy and project cargo at Port of Hartlepool to support the onshore logistics operation that will underpin the deployment of the offshore pipeline for NEP.”
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, added: “This is exactly the sort of investment that builds on the strength of local businesses, creates opportunities for local people and reinforces our reputation as the place to make major industrial projects like this possible.”
