The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has received bids covering more than 2 million acres (over 8,000 km2) of seabed at the closure of the UK’s second carbon storage licensing round (NSTA press release, 24/03/2026).
The second bidding round, which opened in December 2025, closed on 24 March 2026 and follows the first four licences awarded in 2023, where initial work to test the injection process is already underway.
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“It is hoped that, if licences are offered in these areas, they will build on the success of the four storage permits already awarded in two different locations in the UK”, according to the press release. The first projects awarded during the initial round could become operational in 2028:
Initial Projects From First Licensing Round
The Endurance project, located off the north-east coast of England, was granted a storage permit allowing for a potential total storage of 100 MtCO₂ over a period of 25 years.
The HyNet project received three storage permits, with phase one designed to store 109 MtCO₂ over 25 years in the East Irish Sea.
Second Licensing Round Capacity
The second round offered 14 locations, which the NSTA indicated could provide up to 2 Gt of additional CO₂ storage capacity.
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