Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support dispersed sites without access to potential CCUS infrastructure and pipelines to decarbonise.

Government recognises that non-pipeline methods of CO₂ transportation (for example, road, rail, barge and ship) will play an integral role in achieving decarbonisation across multiple regions and sectors of the economy, to meet our carbon budget targets and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Non-pipeline transport (NPT) will be required where it is not technically or economically feasible to connect to a store via a pipeline.

The government’s consultation on its proposals for NPT deployment across the UK has just concluded and we are in the process of analysing responses.

Alongside this, the government launched the NPT Pathfinder Selection Process on the 9 April. This is the first time NPT projects will be eligible to apply for storage at the East Coast Cluster and we look forward to seeing which projects come forward to take up this exciting opportunity.

Both initiatives will help inform further NPT deployment in the future.