Survey work starts off Redcar coast for CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure

February 10th, 2023 – Realisation of the East Coast Cluster (ECC), a world leading initiative to decarbonise the industrial heartlands of the Humber and Teesside, took a step forward as nearshore survey work commenced on Redcar beach, Teesside. The work, which replicates work conducted on Easington Beach, Humberside, will inform engineering plans for pipelines connecting the onshore CO2 transportation and storage network with the offshore Endurance Carbon Store.

The data collection is being carried out by Lankelma as part of the frond-end engineering and design (FEED) for the landfall ground investigation executed by Genesis, a contractor working on behalf of the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP). This work follows preliminary geophysical surveying undertaken by a seven-metre vessel operating in the nearshore. Local public bodies have been informed of the work and all relevant consent has been gained from the Crown Estate and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED).

A jack-up vessel named Sandpiper will be positioned near to the shoreline and will conduct geotechnical and geophysical surveys, including taking samples of seabed soil and rock. The findings from this analysis will then be used to assess the seabed ground conditions and the suitability of planned construction methods. It will also provide information that will inform the project’s health, safety, and environmental considerations when construction work begins. 

Sandpiper, which will be visible from the coast for around 3 weeks (subject to weather), has four legs that will be lowered to the seabed, enabling it to lift the working platform above the water and create a steady platform for each borehole to be safely carried out from. It will be moved between sites by a tug and supported by a rigid inflatable boat for emergency response and a crew boat for personnel transfer twice a day.

Andy Lane, MD Northern Endurance Partnership, said “The East Coast Cluster will enable the decarbonisation of several existing and planned businesses across Teesside and the Humber, creating thousands of good quality jobs and helping to protect existing jobs in carbon intensive industries. The survey work underway off the coast of Teesside is a key milestone for the East Coast Cluster, and the information gathered will give us a clear picture of the ground conditions in the near shore area, enabling us to further refine our plans for the CO2 pipeline network that will safely transport and store millions of tonnes of CO2 from businesses on Teesside and the Humber – helping to establish the regions as globally-competitive climate-friendly hubs for industry and innovation.”

The ECC is enabled by the NEP comprising bp, Equinor, National Grid Ventures, Shell and TotalEnergies. Together the partnership will develop the infrastructure needed to transport CO2 from across the Humber and Teesside to the Endurance Carbon Store, located 145km offshore in the Southern North Sea.

ENDS