The UK government has launched a new market-sounding exercise aimed at refining its understanding of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) activity in and around the Humber region.
Led by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the initiative is designed to gather updated information from developers planning to capture or store CO2 in one of the country’s most emissions-intensive industrial clusters.
The survey targets projects that could connect to emerging CO2 transport and storage infrastructure serving the Humber.
This includes potential pipeline links to networks being developed by East Coast Cluster (ECC) partners and Viking CCS, as well as projects considering non-pipeline transport options. Storage destinations under consideration include the Endurance site, the Bunter Closure Stores and Viking CCS’s offshore storage facilities.
Informing Policy, Not Funding Decisions
DESNZ stressed that the exercise is intended purely to inform future policy development and does not form part of any formal selection or funding process.
Participation does not guarantee access to subsidies or future government support, nor does it signal that a new competitive process will necessarily follow.
Instead, the department aims to build a clearer picture of likely capture volumes, timelines and infrastructure requirements across the Humber region, which hosts major facilities in refining, chemicals, power generation and heavy manufacturing.
Relevant: Opinion: The Humber’s Next Industrial Revolution: Powered by Carbon Capture
Insights from the survey are expected to support strategic planning for CO2 transport networks and storage capacity as the UK scales its CCUS ambitions.
Project developers interested in contributing are invited to complete a response form and submit it to DESNZ by 13 February 2026.
Officials say the information gathered will help shape decisions on network readiness, system design and broader CCUS policy frameworks, ensuring that infrastructure development aligns more closely with industrial demand in the Humber cluster.
Read more: UK Opens Second Offshore CO2 Storage Licensing Round
