Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project
St Fergus Gas Terminal, Aberdeenshire, Scotland · 2005–Present (Project initiated 2005, selected for Track-2 funding July 2023, aiming for mid-2020s operation) [1] [2] · £200 million (UK government investment) [3]
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe Acorn Project is Scotland's only advanced CCS project and is central to enabling wider industrial decarbonisation and safeguarding jobs. It aims to provide critical infrastructure for carbon capture and hydrogen production, contributing significantly to the UK's net-zero targets. [1]
Key engineering challenges
Repurposing existing oil and gas infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage. [1] - Developing a full-chain CCS system at minimum cost. [4] - Ensuring the safe and permanent geological storage of captured CO2 in depleted North Sea gas fields. [1] - Integrating CO2 capture from multiple industrial sources. [1]
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Storegga (lead developer), Shell, ExxonMobil, North Sea Midstream Partners (NSMP) [1]
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- Pale Blue Dot Energy (initial developer), various engineering firms.
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- Aims to capture and store CO2 from industrial emitters in Scotland, repurposing existing gas pipelines for CO2 transport. [1]
- Disciplines
- chemical; mechanical; civil; environmental; process engineering; geology; project management
- Standards & frameworks
- UK environmental regulations, CCS guidelines.
Sources: The Acorn Project: Acorn | Growing Our Decarbonised Future (https://theacornproject.uk/) [1] - Storegga: ACORN CCS SECURES DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FROM UK GOVERNMENT (https://storegga.earth/news/acorn-ccs-secures-development-funding-from-uk-government) [2] - Reuters: UK to invest 200 million pounds in Acorn carbon capture project in Scotland (https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/uk-invest-200-million-pounds-acorn-carbon-capture-project-scotland-2025-06-12/) [3] - ScienceDirect: Acorn: Developing full-chain industrial carbon capture and storage (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619320426) [4]