Energy company Penspen has secured a multi-million-pound contract from United Living Infrastructure Services to advance the development of the HyNet CO₂ transportation pipeline at Liverpool Bay.
Under this contract, the company will deliver the detailed engineering design for a project that will transform the north-west of England into a world-leading low-carbon industrial cluster – shaping the region’s future for decades to come.
Leading engineering design phase
Penspen will lead the detailed engineering phase for the development of the onshore CO₂ pipelines and above-ground installations (AGIs), which will transport captured carbon emissions from local industrial emitters in Stanlow to the Liverpool Bay carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at Point of Ayr. CO₂ will be transported through a combination of new assets and repurposed infrastructure.
Dedicated delivery team
Seventy of Penspen’s engineering specialists will deliver the project from a dedicated office in London, supported by 20 newly onboarded professionals for this scope of work. The project will also benefit from additional engineering disciplines based at Penspen’s Aberdeen office, which has experienced significant growth over the past six months.
Driving the energy transition
Darren Bartlett, director – energy transition at Penspen, said: “This is a pivotal award that highlights Penspen’s reputation as specialists in supporting complex energy transition projects, applying over 70 years of international engineering expertise to meet the challenge of decarbonising the UK’s industrial hubs.
“The HyNet North West project will be transformational for the UK’s energy network, and we are proud to be working with United Living to deliver this first-of-its-kind project at Liverpool Bay.
“The development of this carbon capture facility will be critical in driving progress towards a cleaner energy future.”
HyNet North-West – a national decarbonisation flagship
HyNet North-West is a UK-based project made up of several key components designed to decarbonise the industry-heavy region of the UK around Liverpool Bay.
Following the announcement of government funding in October last year, the project will implement carbon capture and storage alongside large-scale low-carbon hydrogen infrastructure.
This includes a hydrogen production plant, transport network and storage, with carbon emissions permanently stored in depleted hydrocarbon fields in the Irish Sea.
As one of the first projects of this scale to reach a detailed design phase for the high-pressure, cross-country transportation of CO₂, Penspen’s extensive experience in delivering detailed engineering for long-length pipeline projects will be critical.
Campbell Crawford, managing director at United Living Infrastructure Services, commented: “We are pleased to appoint Penspen to deliver the engineering design on this project.
“They have an exceptional track record in delivering complex, detailed design for onshore pipelines, making them one of the few companies in the UK with the expertise to help us deliver this major energy transition project.”
New era
The new pipelines will run from the Ince Facility in the north-west of England to the Point of Ayr Terminal on the north coast of Wales, via the Stanlow Refinery.
They will transport CO₂ to be stored in depleted gas reservoirs located up to 1 km below the seabed in Liverpool Bay.
The route will also include six block valve stations and five above-ground installations (AGIs) forming part of the new CO₂ network.
HyNet North-West is a cornerstone in the UK’s energy transition infrastructure, enabling progress towards national net zero targets.
Once operational, HyNet is projected to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 10 million tonnes in the 2030s.
For more information: Visit penspen.com
In the pipeline
