Ongoing operations
The Central Area Transmission System (CATS) has been in operation since 1993, playing an important role in UK energy security and supporting the economy and communities in Teesside. In 2025, CATS delivered around 8 billion cubic metres of gas to UK markets, around a quarter of total UK gas production.
The system, owned by Kellas Midstream, serves more than 30 producing fields in the Central North Sea and comprises a 250 mile pipeline, an offshore riser platform, and the CATS gas processing terminal on Teesside. The CATS pipeline also feeds the neighbouring Teesside Gas Processing Plant.
Energy transition
The CATS terminal is among the UK’s lowest-carbon-intensity gas processing facilities, with ongoing emissions reduction and energy efficiency projects in action. It will continue to play an important role in maintaining reliable energy supply during the UK’s transition to cleaner sources.
Located at the heart of the Tees Valley – which aims to become the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040 – Kellas’ ambition is for CATS to play a significant role in the UK’s clean energy future, potentially enabling the production of low-carbon hydrogen.
H2NorthEast – a partnership between Kellas and SSE – is a project with ambitions to build a 1GW carbon capture enabled blue hydrogen production facility next to the CATS terminal. CO2 created in the blue hydrogen production process would be captured at source and transported through the Northern Endurance Partnership pipeline network back to the North Sea for permanent storage underground.
Ongoing operations
Teesside Gas Processing Plant (TGPP) has provided natural gas to the National Grid and gas liquids products to industrial and domestic suppliers for more than 30 years.
The facility, operated by North Sea Midstream Partners (NSMP), currently processes gas from Central North Sea (CNS) and Southern North Sea (SNS) fields. It has also been partnered with an LNG import project, and supplied local power generation, adapting as UK energy needs have evolved.
TGPP’s CNS processing train optimises the delivery of natural gas liquids (NGL) or more calorific gas. The plant’s SNS train is dedicated to operating the offshore facilities and onshore processing of gas from the Breagh area. Recently enhanced with onshore compression, this processing train is now electrified, supporting ultra-low-carbon-intensity production of UK gas into the National Grid.
NGLs are delivered directly into the local and regional supply chain, supporting off-grid energy demand and strengthening the UK and Europe’s energy resilience.
Energy transition
The North Tees region is at the center of a dynamic and active energy transition environment, allowing TGPP’s ongoing gas production to feed into the gas network supporting local carbon capture power generation.
Last updated 15/1/2026