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UK's first CO2 injection test for CCS has begun
19/2/2025
News
The UK’s first CO2 injection test for carbon capture and storage (CCS) began on 10 February, injecting CO2 into the depleted Leman natural gas reservoir in the UK Southern North Sea.
The test is being conducted as part of the Poseidon CCS project being developed by Perenco UK, Carbon Catalyst and Harbour Energy. It is being undertaken from the Erda rig, which is the first in the UK to have achieved an approved safety case for CO2 injection support, according to Perenco.
Preparations for the test included a workover of the well, a former gas producer, and the design of a new completion system. Test results will provide data to support research and development for the permanent geological storage of CO2, says Perenco.
The Poseidon CCS project is planned to begin operations in 2029, with an initial injection capacity of 1.5mn t/y, ramping up to 10mn t/y by 2034. The project has further geological potential to receive up to 40mn t/y, over a 40-year period, according to the project partners.
The injection test follows the UK government’s recent pledge of £22bn for CCS through the funding of two carbon capture sites, HyNet and Northern Endurance Partnership East Coast Cluster projects in Merseyside and Teesside.
According to Perenco, Leman is the UK’s largest reservoir complex in the UK continental shelf, offering a combination of depleted gas reservoirs and saline aquifers in which to permanently store recovered CO2. Its ultimate storage capacity, utilising the BC9 aquifer and various depleted reservoirs, is reported to be around 1,000mn tonnes.
The field is connected to the Perenco-operated Bacton terminal on the Norfolk coast.
Commenting on the start of the injection test, Jo White, General Manager Perenco UK, said: ‘As the first test of its kind in the UK, today’s news is a key moment […] for the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions. If successful, the project could be a significant store for CO2 in the future, playing a key role in decarbonising industrial emitters and helping the UK achieve its net zero objectives.’
