The company DNV has been appointed as the independent certifier of the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) project, a strategic infrastructure for the transport and storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the United Kingdom.
This project supports the development of the East Coast industrial cluster and is considered tactical for large-scale decarbonization.
Independent certification will be a mandatory requirement prior to commissioning, ensuring that all infrastructure complies with the CO₂ transport and storage (T&S) license. This validation introduces a new regulatory standard for the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.
The designation of DNV, approved by Ofgem, reinforces the need to ensure technical integrity, operational safety and regulatory compliance in projects considered to be of national importance.
Technical scope across the entire CO₂ chain
The NEP project will enable the transport of captured CO₂ from industrial emitters in Teesside to permanent storage in the southern North Sea. This infrastructure integrates multiple critical stages within the CCS value chain.
DNV’s certification scope covers everything from the reception of CO₂ at the compression plant, its conditioning in dense phase, to its transport via underwater pipelines and its subsequent injection into geological formations.
New regulatory framework for CCS in the United Kingdom
The establishment of an independent certifier represents a significant step forward in the governance of the CCS sector in the UK. This requirement provides objective, evidence-based verification before operations begin.
The goal is to ensure that critical infrastructures such as NEP fully comply with their licensing obligations, reducing technical and operational risks in highly complex projects.
This measure aligns with regulatory trends in Europe, where greater rigor is required in the supervision of decarbonization projects, especially in the early stages of deployment.
Technical expertise and independent validation
DNV brings decades of experience in independent verification in the energy sector, including oil, gas, and carbon capture and storage projects. Its expertise in pipeline integrity and risk management is crucial for this type of infrastructure.
In addition, the company has developed technical standards widely adopted in the industry for the transport and storage of CO₂, enabling rigorous assessments in terms of safety and operability.
The certification will include validation of the design, the quality of construction and readiness for commissioning, ensuring that the system will function as intended once CO₂ injection begins.
Key infrastructure for the energy transition
The Northern Endurance Partnership project is part of the initial developments of the UK’s Track-1 program, which aims to establish the foundations of CCS infrastructure in the country.
According to projections in DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook report, Europe will position itself as one of the main regions for carbon capture and storage by 2060, representing about 23% of the global volume.
In this context, projects like NEP will be fundamental to enabling the decarbonization of emissions-intensive industries, establishing technical and regulatory benchmarks for future developments.
Source: https://www.dnv.com/
Photo: Shutterstock