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The UK has been following a cluster-based approach to carbon capture, aiming to group high energy users together, and to connect them to suitable storage locations: in this case, oil and gas extraction sites in the North Sea. On the west coast, ENI reached financial close for its Liverpool Bay CCS project in April 2025. Work is underway on connecting this to the HyNet cluster. Both projects plan to eventually make use of their networks to capture carbon generated from the production of ‘blue’ hydrogen, where electrolysis is powered by fossil fuels.

Other projects are under developed. Also on the English east coast, Viking is targeting energy users in the Humber Cluster. In Scotland, the Acorn capture and transmission network is being developed, with the aim of connecting the Scottish Cluster of energy users to storage sites. Further projects are at different stages of development.

The network in Teesside will make some of use of existing pipeline infrastructure to connect assets—the cluster strategy is in many ways linked to Westminster’s desire to ‘level up’ or ‘regionally rebalance’ areas suffering the long term impacts of deindustrialisation, and the more recent threat of decarbonisation cutting energy sector opportunities.

Under the initial five-year agreement, px Group will recruit and employ an on-site team of around 100 people locally, including apprentices, to take both sites from commissioning through to sustained, safe operations. The contract is one of the most significant industrial O&M appointments in Teesside's recent history, px Group says, and a major step forward in px Group's position as a leading O&M partner for net zero and low-carbon industrial projects.

The group will support commissioning and handover phases, developing the site-specific operating model, managing performance acceptance, and maintaining full operational safety standard. Once in steady operations, px Group will lead the ongoing engineering and maintenance programme to ensure both facilities run safely, reliably and in full compliance with regulatory requirements.

Around 100 roles will be recruited locally from Teesside, with a deliberate focus on apprenticeships and long-term career development. px Group will partner with Cogent Skills, specialists in science and technology workforce development, to deliver structured training and qualifications for the new team, building a skilled workforce capable of supporting not just these facilities, but the wider wave of net zero infrastructure investment coming to the region.

The announcement came as the East Coast Cluster celebrated a total of £1.5bn contracts awarded to the UK supply chain, including £500m in new awards since Q3 2025. NZT Power and NEP say they are on track to deliver more than 50% UK content across the build while creating and supporting more than 3,000 jobs. The cluster released details of a range of engineering, construction and supply chain contract awards.

The onshore power, capture and compression consortium led by Technip Energies, which includes GE Vernova and Balfour Beatty as construction partner, is operating from 12,000 sq ft of office space at the Wilton Centre next to the Teesworks site. Through the project, Balfour Beatty has already engaged more than 140 UK suppliers, recently launched a recruitment campaign for roles including mechanical engineers, site engineers and temporary works coordinators, and expects to employ 1,500 people at peak construction. 

A number of firms from Teesside and the surrounding area have secured work via the consortium. Cullum Detuners, working from Stockton-on-Tees with fabrication support in Middlesbrough, will deliver high-specification flue gas ducting, supporting 40 fabricators over 15 months and creating 15 new positions. Stockton-on-Tees-based Barrier Architectural Services has been awarded the turbine hall HVAC package, while Coatham Coaches, near Guisborough, is providing park-and-ride services and has already created 15 additional jobs.  

The projects are also drawing on specialist capability from across the wider UK supply chain. Costain is currently supporting the project with around 200 people on site, alongside approximately 100 designers and engineers based in Manchester. To date, it has awarded 23 subcontracts, 90% of them to UK-based suppliers, supporting a further 100 workers across the supply chain. This includes family-owned Adey Steel, which will fabricate six new steel bridges from its Loughborough site to support pipeline and high-voltage cable infrastructure. 

Wood is providing engineering, construction and project management services across multiple contractor offices and the site, with a third of its team currently based in the local area.  

Saipem has awarded contracts to a number of UK businesses, including Wakefield-based Stockton Drilling Ltd, which will act as a strategic partner in delivering pipeline, power cable and outlet facilities. Around 90% of this contract will be delivered using local resources, supporting 35 jobs. Additional specialist services contracts have also been awarded to Engineering Services and Supplies Ltd, Ordtek Ltd and Weston Compliance Services Ltd. 

TechnipFMC will deliver the offshore subsea injection system with work taking place across several UK locations, including Newcastle, Evanton and Dunfermline. As part of this package, fabrication of the manifolds and the pig launcher/receiver will be completed by Maraen Fabrication (previously Global Energy (Group)) at the Port of Nigg, a supplier recognised for delivering complex subsea and topside structures across the energy sector.

Alcatel Submarine Networks is delivering the project’s power and communications cable from its headquarters in Greenwich. The business, which directly employs more than 500 people in the UK, has awarded sub-contracts to UK offshore specialists including Cathie Associates, EGS and Safelane.  

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