Saipem Taps Fugro for CCS Development off UK

Fugro has secured a contract from Saipem to provide integrated marine survey and inspection services for the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the UK's first carbon capture transportation and storage infrastructure project.

Saipem is leading the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the project's offshore pipeline and associated infrastructure. NEP is an incorporated joint venture between bp, Equinor and TotalEnergies.

The project has access to up to 1 billion tonnes of CO2 storage capacity beneath the North Sea and is aimed at decarbonising some of the UK's most carbon-intensive industrial regions.

Under the contract, Fugro will carry out nearshore and offshore survey and inspection operations to support pipeline installation from landfall through to its connection with existing offshore infrastructure.

Nearshore work will include pre-lay surveys from the tunnel exit extending several kilometres offshore, as well as installation monitoring while the pipeline is pulled out to sea. The work will be used to confirm that the pipeline is being laid as designed and identify unexpected seabed changes.

Further offshore, Fugro will provide surveys, installation support and verification along the pipeline route, including at crossings with third-party pipelines and cables.

“As the UK's first major carbon capture and storage project, NEP’s work marks an important milestone for the energy transition, and we're thrilled to be part of it. By working closely with Saipem across nearshore and offshore environments, from early surveys through to installation, we support informed decision-making that helps Saipem manage risk across a technically complex route,” said Mike Duncan, Fugro's Director of Marine Asset Integrity in Europe and Africa.