Acorn is a CO₂ transportation and storage system which reuses legacy oil and gas infrastructure to transport captured industrial CO₂ emissions from the Scottish Cluster, to permanent storage 2.5km (1.5miles) under the North Sea.

The Acorn stores are connected to the Scottish mainland by existing legacy pipelines. Repurposing these assets reduces project delivery risk, cost and environmental impact.

These existing pipelines could transport up to 20 Mtpa of CO₂ to the Acorn stores, during peak operations.

Industry in the Central Belt of Scotland will be able to send their captured CO₂ to the Acorn storage sites thanks to National Gas Transmission repurposing an existing onshore natural gas pipeline – the SCO₂T Connect project.

And the reach of Acorn goes beyond Scotland too – there is potential to use non-pipeline transportation, like shipping, to move captured CO₂ to the Acorn storage sites. This would enable Acorn to support the decarbonisation of industry across the UK and even internationally.

One of the UK’s most mature and best understood stores: CO₂ will be stored approx. 100km offshore from St. Fergus, in sandstone rock 2.5km under the seabed, sealed by a caprock approximately 400m thick.

Over time, the trapped CO₂ will bind with elements of the surrounding rock to create solid, chalky minerals, permanently locking the CO₂ into place.

Storage will extend as demand requires, into nearby geological structures which also already have pipeline access and CO₂ storage licenses. All Acorn storage sites have been independently verified as suitable for CO₂ storage.

Acorn CO₂ Transport and Storage

Acorn is a CO₂ transportation and storage system which reuses legacy oil and gas infrastructure to transport captured industrial CO₂ emissions from the Scottish Cluster, to permanent storage 2.5km (1.5miles) under the North Sea.

One of the UK’s most mature and best understood stores: CO₂ will be stored approx. 100km offshore from St. Fergus, in sandstone rock 2.5km under the seabed, sealed by a caprock approximately 400m thick.

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