Fugro will provide integrated marine survey and inspection services for the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the UK’s first CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure project. The contract was awarded by Saipem, which is responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the subsea pipeline and associated infrastructure.
The NEP project is a joint venture between bp, Equinor and TotalEnergies, its objective is to enable a network capable of transporting CO₂ from British industrial areas to storage formations under the North Sea.
CCS infrastructure to decarbonize industrial regions
With access to storage capacity of up to one billion tons of CO₂ under the North Sea, the program aims to reduce emissions in some of the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial regions.
Likewise, the infrastructure aims to maintain industrial activity while the energy transition progresses. Once operational, it will allow the transport of captured carbon dioxide to underwater facilities designed for its safe geological storage.
Fugro will conduct studies from the coast to the open sea
Fugro will conduct inspection and prospecting operations in coastal and marine areas to support the pipeline installation. The work will cover everything from the point of land arrival to the connection with existing offshore infrastructure.
In the area near the coast, the company will conduct pre-installation studies from the tunnel exit and several kilometers offshore. It will also monitor the pipeline’s laying as it moves out to sea to verify its position and identify any unexpected changes in the seabed.
Geographic data to reduce installation risks
Further offshore, Fugro will provide studies, installation assistance, and route verification for the pipeline. This work will include crossings with third-party pipelines and cables, particularly sensitive points in the subsea planning.
In this way, Saipem will have consistent geographical data along the entire route; this information will be crucial for managing technical risks, adjusting installation decisions, and promoting a more efficient execution of the project.
NEP reinforces the UK’s CO₂ storage strategy
The development of the New Energy Project (NEP) is part of the UK’s strategy to create industrial-scale carbon capture and storage infrastructure. Offshore Energy notes that the project will include an onshore CO₂ collection network, compression facilities, and a 145-kilometer offshore pipeline connected to the Endurance saline aquifer, located beneath the North Sea seabed.
Fugro’s involvement in the project strengthens the technical component of marine surveying, a critical phase for installing underwater infrastructure in complex routes. In these types of projects, the quality of seabed data can mean the difference between a successful installation and a costly intervention.
Source and photo: Fugro
