CCUS: Decommissioning Regime for Transport & Storage

Overview

The government expects Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) to play an essential role in meeting our net zero target. The deployment of CCUS will also be central to supporting the low carbon transformation of the UK’s industrial base. To deliver this, the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, published in November 2020, included a commitment to deploy CCUS in two industrial clusters by the mid-2020s, and a further two clusters by 2030 with an ambition to capture 10 MtCO₂ per year by 2030.

Existing UK legislation is clear that when an offshore CCUS storage site is closed, the installations and injection facilities must be removed when decommissioned. In addition, all other items of equipment, infrastructure and materials that have been installed or drilled are expected to be entirely removed for disposal onshore in accordance with our aim to achieve a clear seabed.

This consultation sets out, and seeks views on, the government’s proposals for establishing a CCUS decommissioning regime which aims to achieve this outcome, while also encouraging investment in the sector to meet the government’s wider objectives.