A new report from DNV and OEUK argues that the UK and Europe must treat the North Sea as a single integrated system for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen transport. Moving away from isolated national projects is seen as the only way to ensure long term affordability and technical interoperability across borders. While the UK Continental Shelf has the geological capacity to store 70 billion tonnes of CO2, experts warn that capture volumes could outpace injection capacity by the 2040s. Scaling these capital intensive projects requires clearer rules on liability, cross border access, and long term stewardship to attract the necessary investment for 20 to 30 year payback periods.
