Offshore safety rules now apply to carbon capture and hydrogen production

What is changing

The Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage and Offshore Hydrogen Production (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/185) extend existing offshore health and safety legislation to two emerging energy sectors: CCUS and offshore hydrogen production.

Until now, these regulations covered only oil and gas operations. As the UK scales up carbon capture and hydrogen production to meet net-zero targets, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will regulate these new activities under the same safety framework that governs traditional offshore energy.

Which regulations are being amended

Six sets of offshore regulations are amended to include CCUS and offshore hydrogen production within their scope:

• Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995 — management systems, duty holders, and installation notifications
• Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 — fire risk assessments, emergency plans, and evacuation procedures
• Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996 — design, construction, and operation of offshore pipelines carrying CO₂ or hydrogen
• Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc.) Regulations 1996 — well integrity and design standards
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) — incident reporting for CCUS and hydrogen installations
• Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015 — safety case preparation and submission to HSE

Who is affected

This SI affects:

• CCUS operators — companies licensed to transport and store carbon dioxide in offshore geological formations
• Offshore hydrogen producers — operators generating hydrogen at offshore installations (e.g. via electrolysis powered by offshore wind)
• Pipeline operators — those constructing or operating pipelines carrying CO₂ or hydrogen offshore
• Well operators — companies drilling or managing injection wells for CO₂ storage
• Duty holders — installation owners and operators who must now prepare safety cases and comply with management regulations for CCUS and hydrogen activities

The regulations establish new definitions of "licensee", "operator", and "well operator" for these sectors, aligning them with the existing offshore oil and gas duty holder framework.

What operators must do

From 6 April 2026, CCUS and offshore hydrogen operators must:

• Prepare a safety case and submit it to HSE before operations begin, demonstrating that major accident risks have been identified and controlled
• Appoint a duty holder responsible for the installation's safety management system
• Comply with fire and explosion prevention regulations, including emergency response plans and evacuation procedures
• Meet well design and construction standards for CO₂ injection wells or hydrogen production wells
• Report incidents under RIDDOR — injuries, dangerous occurrences, and near-misses on CCUS and hydrogen installations must now be reported to HSE
• Ensure pipeline safety — pipelines carrying CO₂ or hydrogen must meet the same integrity standards as hydrocarbon pipelines