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Carbon capture set to become reality as Hartlepool kicks off new scheme

[ July 27, 2026   //   ]

Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the UK’s first carbon dioxide transportation and storage network, has launched its offshore construction campaign at PD Ports’ Port of Hartlepool.

The campaign is being delivered in partnership with energy and infrastructure construction firm Saipem.

The arrival of linepipe joints at the Saipem Logistics facility in Hartlepool is the start of a programme to 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.

Saipem will use the pipes will to construct a 149km-long 28-inch offshore pipeline, part of a network that will carry carbon dioxide from local industrial facilities to offshore storage sites beneath the seabed and will be one of the country’s biggest decarbonisation projects.

Over 60% of the linepipe joints have been manufactured at the Liberty Steel pipe mill in Hartlepool, now operated by Corinth Pipeworks, supporting around 150 skilled jobs and creating a further 35 roles, including apprenticeships.

Ultimately, 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.

The offshore construction campaign is a major step for the project, which is already around one-third complete, with significant onshore construction activity well underway.

PD Ports will be managing a total project cargo made up of some 12,000 concrete-coated linepipe joints weighing 170,000 tonnes and the work will involve between 40 and 60 of its staff directly. It also creates an opportunity for the company’s apprentices to gain hands-on experience on a major offshore project.

The port has invested £1 million in pipe handling equipment, 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 and, if fully realised, around 20% of the UK’s annual emissions.

Managing director of Northern Endurance Partnership, Rich Denny, 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, recently announced as the company’s incoming chief executive officer from September, added: “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.

“Ongoing investment in our infrastructure and our skilled workforce means we stand ready to support transformational projects of this scale, not just as a logistics provider but as a long-term partner committed to our region’s growth.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Our region has spent generations making the materials that built industries right around the world, so it’s right that the next generation of industry sees our local firms manufacturing the infrastructure to make it happen. Northern Endurance Partnership, working with key local partners like PD Ports, alongside international expertise from Saipem, is putting local companies at the heart of a hugely significant, world-first project, and that’s something our region can be incredibly proud of.”

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