Undersea maps show carbon capture hot spots

New North Sea maps highlighting where future CO₂ storage could realistically be developed have been released.

The maps, published by the North Sea Transition Authority, rank areas of the UK Continental Shelf by their potential for carbon storage appraisal, based on geology, data quality and how well each region could support the UK’s long-term storage needs.

The aim is simple: give developers a clearer view of where effort and capital are most likely to pay off.

Carbon storage is increasingly seen as one of the few growth industries capable of reusing offshore skills at scale while supporting decarbonisation.

Ministers pledged £21 billion of support for the sector in 2024, arguing it could create tens of thousands of skilled jobs while cutting emissions from power and heavy industry.

Andy Brooks, the NSTA’s Director of New Ventures, said the maps would give developers “at-a-glance information” to help identify future appraisal and development opportunities, adding that carbon storage would be “a vital part of the energy transition”.

The authority acts as licensing body and technical regulator for offshore CO₂ storage and says the new tool marks a shift towards a more proactive, evidence-led approach.

Rather than waiting for proposals to emerge piecemeal, the maps are designed to steer investment towards areas with the strongest fundamentals.

The portal will be regularly updated as new seismic data becomes available and understanding of subsurface storage improves.