UK Carbon Storage licensing round

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) on 9 December 2025 opened a carbon storage licensing round offering 14 locations in Scottish and English waters for exploration and appraisal, and with potential to provide future capacity to support industrial decarbonisation for the UK and Europe. The closing date for applications is 24 March 2026

The areas which will be offered fall into two broad categories – depleted hydrocarbon fields selected by the NSTA – and saline aquifer sites identified following a ‘Call for Nominations’ which earlier this year enabled industry partners to indicate sites of interest which offered a greater chance of successful project delivery.

These areas were chosen following extensive consultation with The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland, among others. Five areas will be in Scottish waters, with nine off the coast of England. Successful applicants for a carbon storage licence from the NSTA will require a seabed agreement from either Crown Estate Scotland or The Crown Estate in English waters, before a project can progress.