From Silos to Synergy: UK Carbon Capture Reorganizes

A new industry alliance says UK carbon capture is shifting from ideas to execution, starting with projects like Net Zero Teesside Power

27 Jan 2026

For years, carbon capture in the UK has lived in reports, roadmaps, and pilot studies. Now a new industry alliance is betting that the sector is ready for something more tangible.

The Carbon Capture Alliance brings together Technip Energies, GE Vernova, and Balfour Beatty, with support from Shell Catalysts & Technologies. Its message is straightforward: carbon capture needs less theorizing and more building. The focus is no longer on proving the science, but on delivering projects that can actually be financed, constructed, and run.

That shift matters. Carbon capture has long struggled not because the technology fails, but because projects become tangled in complexity. Multiple contractors, disconnected designs, and unclear risk sharing have pushed up costs and scared off investors. The result has been a long list of concepts that never quite make it to site.

The alliance aims to tackle that problem head on. By coordinating engineering design, equipment choices, and construction planning from the outset, it hopes to smooth the path from early studies to final delivery. The model is already being applied to Net Zero Teesside Power, one of the UK’s most closely watched carbon capture projects.

Each partner plays a defined role. Technip Energies brings experience in designing large industrial systems that can be repeated and scaled. GE Vernova contributes expertise in power generation and emissions reduction, particularly for gas-fired plants that must stay flexible while cutting carbon. Balfour Beatty focuses on buildability, ensuring designs work in real-world conditions, not just on paper. Shell Catalysts & Technologies supports with process and catalyst know-how suited to large-scale deployment.

The timing is deliberate. The UK is pushing ahead with industrial decarbonization clusters, where carbon capture is expected to anchor cleaner power and heavy industry. As contracts are awarded and timelines firm up, developers need delivery models that reduce risk and give lenders confidence.

Obstacles remain. Long-term liability for stored carbon is still evolving, and costs remain high compared with conventional projects. Some also worry that large alliances could crowd out newer technologies.

Still, the Carbon Capture Alliance signals a growing belief that the sector is maturing. If it works, carbon capture may finally move from years of planning into visible infrastructure, reshaping how the UK tackles industrial emissions in the decade ahead.