NSTA and Crown Estate Scotland to team up on North Sea energy, carbon storage

The UK’s North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) and Crown Estate Scotland (CES) have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to coordinate efforts around energy and carbon storage in the North Sea.

According to NSTA, the agreement outlines shared priorities, including enabling co-location of technologies, supporting net-zero targets, and developing a coordinated approach to seabed management.

“The SoI, which includes a pledge to progress net zero targets by helping different technologies share space, confirms that both bodies are focused on enabling sustainable North Sea business through a coordinated approach to managing the seabed,” NSTA said.

While operating under distinct mandates, the two organisations will work jointly to support the UK and Scottish Governments’ decarbonisation goals. This includes streamlining leasing and licensing for carbon storage, advancing carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) deployment in Scottish waters, and tackling co-existence challenges across marine industries.

The SoI sets out a framework to support coordinated seabed use, aiming to unlock North Sea capacity for multiple energy and storage solutions.

Data sharing is a key part of the agreement, with a focus on improving delivery through platforms like the Marine Data Exchange and National Data Repository, NSTA noted. 

NSTA and CES also plan to work through the Offshore Energy Digital Strategy Group to accelerate the digitalisation of offshore energy systems and support evidence-based decision making. Both organisations aim to identify knowledge gaps, commission studies, and enhance digital capabilities.

Infrastructure reuse, offshore platform electrification, and integration with offshore wind are also on the agenda.

Just recently, NSTA issued three carbon storage permits to Italy’s oil & gas giant Eni for the HyNet CCS project in Liverpool Bay, enabling the development of a 109 million tonne CO2 storage system over 25 years.