UK’s independent bulk liquid storage provider Stanlow Terminals and Eni UK, a UK-based subsidiary of global energy company Eni, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of carbon dioxide (CO2) collection, shipping, and storage at the Stanlow Terminal location.
Under the MoU, Stanlow Terminals and Eni UK will evaluate opportunities to establish an open-access CO2 transport and storage terminal which will be capable of receiving, gathering and storing CO2 from industrial emitters and other sources via shipping from dispersed locations. The CO2 will be delivered to Eni UK’s carbon transport and storage infrastructures currently being developed in the NW region of the UK.
According to the partners, the objective is to ultimately connect multiple emitters with Eni UK’s licenced storage location through an open access system, facilitating the future sequestration of substantial volumes of CO2.
Stainlow Terminal also emphasized that developing CO2 ship transportation will play a significant role in the expansion of CCS infrastructure, by offering feasible and flexible routes between sources and storage sites. The infrastructure would provide many more industrial companies the opportunity to transport captured CO2 for storage in depleted gas fields.
The agreement follows Stanlow Terminal’s announcement of plans to also develop open-access green ammonia facilities on the River Mersey.
According to Stanlow, this new terminal, which will be an expansion of existing facilities, will provide the connecting infrastructure to enable significant volumes of green ammonia to be imported into the UK.
Stanlow Terminals is part of Essar Energy Transition (EET). Launched in February 2023, EET is investing $3.6 billion in developing a range of low-carbon energy transition projects over the next five years, of which $2.4 billion will be invested at its sites in the North West of England.
Meanwhile, Eni UK intends to apply its skills to repurpose part of its existing upstream assets to store carbon dioxide in depleted fields in Liverpool Bay, helping the UK to achieve its net zero targets by decarbonising industrial activities in the region.