MaxStoreUK
Maximising the UK’s CO2 and hydrogen geological storage (MaxStoreUK) for net zero.
About MaxStoreUK
The MaxStoreUK project, led by the British Geological Survey (BGS), aims to investigate the UK’s subsurface resource for storage of CO2 and hydrogen. Six prior Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) CO2 and hydrogen porous rock geological storage research projects by BGS, Heriot-Watt University, and the University of Manchester provide the foundations for MaxStoreUK:
- MIP 1.2 Industrial Clusters: Evaluating CO2 Underground in Bunter Closures (ICECUBE)
- MIP 3.2 Hydrogen storage and transport networks for net-zero industrial clusters
- MIP 4.4 Quantification of the UK CO2 storage export potential to drive down the cost of carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- MIP 6.4 CO2Stored 2.0 – Next generation of the UK’s CO2 storage database
- MIP 7.4 Enabling hydrogen storage near industrial clusters (Phase 1)
- MIP 7.8 Enabling hydrogen storage near industrial clusters (Phase 2): enhancing confidence in porous rock storage
These previous projects underscore the importance of building on evidence-based research to drive industrial decarbonisation and net zero. The findings will inform investment decisions and policy development and maximise the use of the subsurface in the UK to reach net zero.
MaxStoreUK research project, led by BGS, began in October 2025 with its completion in September 2027.
The project objectives:
- Share the completed research findings, tailored to audiences and UK place-based industrial clusters, through knowledge exchange
- Apply established fundamental research methodologies to UK clusters and rock formations
- Identify geological storage information and datasets to support MaxStoreUK stakeholders
MaxStoreUK webinars
We hosted three place-based webinars in February and March 2026 to present findings from our completed research and outline planned research on CO2 and hydrogen storage in the following industrial cluster regions:
- North-West England & Peak clusters
- Humberside, Teesside & Bacton-Thames clusters
- Scotland Cluster
The webinars brought together industry, policy, and academic stakeholders to share insights across our BGS, Heriot-Watt University, University of Manchester research projects, sharing updated findings and developments informing the MaxStoreUK research and implementation. This enabled stakeholders to engage with the prior research and share expertise to support the upcoming research programme.
Research Programme →
Find out more about our whole systems approach to accelerate industrial decarbonisation
