CCUS: non-pipeline transport

Overview

Carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) will be essential to meeting the UK’s 2050 net zero target, playing a vital role in growing the economy, supporting the low-carbon economic transformation of our industrial regions, and creating new high value jobs. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has stated that they ‘cannot see a route to net zero that does not include CCUS’[1].

In the Summary of Responses to the Call for Evidence (CfE) on non-pipeline transport (NPT) and cross-border CO2 networks[2], government set out its intention to publish a consultation on NPT in the second half of 2025.

NPT can have an important role to play in the development of CCUS, in particular in instances where CCUS is the only decarbonisation option and a pipeline is technically and/or economically unviable. A number of sectors including waste management, bioenergy and power may need NPT CCUS to decarbonise. It may be important to deploy NPT solutions in the near term to reduce future costs as the CCUS sector transitions toward becoming self-sustaining and, to support the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in the CCUS market. Deployment of NPT solutions may support the UK's global positioning on the provision of CO2 shipping and storage services.

Through this consultation, we are looking to provide sufficient policy certainty to allow projects to mature. We are seeking views on proposed policy positions in the following areas:

• Delivery mechanism for support
• Support for NPT costs
• NPT fee options and cross-chain risk allocation
• Regulatory environment for the NPT solution
• Standardisation and operational considerations

Following the consultation closing on 1 May 2026, government will look to assess the responses received and use the information gathered to inform policy development, to support the deployment of NPT in the UK.

Please read the consultation document for more information. You can use the link below to submit a response.