Pipelay Vessel Ready for UK Carbon Storage Project

Saipem’s pipelay vessel Castorone has arrive in the Southern North Sea to start work for Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP).

At 325 metres long, the vessel is one of the world’s largest pipelay vessels and will play a vital role in laying the 136km pipeline that will connect industry on Teesside and the Humber, to the Endurance storage site beneath the North Sea. Once complete, this infrastructure will safely transport captured CO₂ for permanent storage.

During the offshore campaign, Castorone will use almost 3,000 tonnes of marine biofuel, helping to reduce emissions associated with construction activities. Sonardyne’s environmental monitoring technology will gather data from the seabed and help with monitoring the surrounding marine environment to verify the long-term safety of carbon storage.

Rich Denny, Managing Director at NEP, said: “Just a few months ago, we welcomed the arrival of our linepipe into the Port of Hartlepool. Today, seeing Castorone arrive in the Southern North Sea to begin laying that linepipe is a powerful reminder of the pace and scale of progress being made.

“This is more than an engineering milestone. It is a significant moment for the East Coast Cluster, for industrial decarbonization and for the UK’s journey to net zero. The infrastructure we are building has the potential to support jobs, attract investment to the region and help secure a cleaner future for generations to come.”