The UK Government has confirmed plans for a new competitive selection process for projects seeking connection to the East Coast Cluster (ECC) transport and storage network. This process will open in early 2026, following financial close for ECC infrastructure and Net Zero Teesside.
The update aims to:
- Maximise storage utilisation at Endurance and strengthen system resilience.
- Support UK Growth and Net Zero objectives, creating jobs and attracting investment.
- Ensure affordability and deliverability, prioritising projects that can connect by 2030 or sooner.
Key features include:
- A proportionate, accessible approach informed by market engagement in 2025.
- Potential eligibility for non-pipeline transport (NPT) projects, broadening participation beyond traditional pipeline-linked schemes.
- Consideration of projects not requiring ongoing revenue support under current business models.
RMRI notes that this update signals a clear opening for shipping-led aggregation areas and other NPT-enabled solutions, which have previously faced uncertainty under pipeline-centric frameworks. For developers, early positioning will be critical, particularly for projects that can demonstrate cost-optimised delivery and readiness to connect by 2030.
Ref: Gov.uk