The UK has awarded a carbon dioxide (CO2) appraisal and storage licence (CS licence) to explore the use of depleted gas fields in the Irish Sea to store captured CO2.

The CS licence, awarded to Eni UK Limited, covers an area located within the Liverpool Bay region of the east Irish Sea.

Under the CS licence, the company plans to repurpose and reuse depleted gas fields (the Hamilton, Hamilton North and Lennox fields) and associated infrastructure to permanently store CO2 captured in England and Wales.

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CCS

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a number of techniques and processes which capture carbon dioxide emissions, generally from industrial processes.

The CO2 can then be transported via repurposed gas pipelines and stored underground within rock formations.

Eni UK Limited is aiming to capture and store CO2 from existing industries as well as future hydrogen production sites in England and Wales.

The company has been awarded a CS licence with a six-year ‘appraisal term’. This will allow assessments and planning to take place, which may lead to a subsequent application to the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) for a storage permit to begin CO2 storage operations.