CCS Could Herald Massive Pipeline Investments

Carbon Capture and Storage — CCS for short — is a relatively new field of endeavour, whereby carbon dioxide (a well-known greenhouse gas) is recovered from waste streams in industrial processes such as petroleum refining, steel production and cement-making, as well as from fossil-fired power plants. The captured carbon dioxide can then be sequestered underground in suitable rock formations or utilized in other industrial processes, the soft-drinks industry, etc. Investment in long-distance pipelines is a pre-requisite if large-scale CCS is to be achieved.

By KCI Editorial

One of the challenges in creating a viable CCS infrastructure is the development of a transportation network, given both the volumes of carbon dioxide typically involved as well as the large distances between industrial hubs and storage locations. Consider the Northern Lights Project in Bergen, Norway which in August this year received its first carbon dioxide from a cement plant in Brevik — a journey of easily 700 km / 430 miles by sea. The Northern Lights terminal boasts its own harbour designed to receive tankers carrying liquefied carbon dioxide. From the terminal, the carbon dioxide is further pumped through a 100 km / 60 mile pipeline for injection into the Aurora reservoir under the North Sea.

In other geographies pipelines are seen as a logical option. Indeed, the United States can point to a dedicated carbon dioxide pipeline network of some 8,500 km/5,300 miles which has existed for many decades. Note however that this network is primary used for enhanced oil recovery in the Gulf Coast region. Companies looking to build new carbon dioxide pipelines often have to overcome multiple hurdles, including regulatory issues, siting challenges, uncertain returns on investment plus opposition from local residents and landowners.

For example, Summit Carbon Solutions has plans to build a 4,000 km/2,500-mile branched pipeline to transport carbon dioxide from nearly 60 ethanol plants in the Midwest to an underground sequestration site in North Dakota, enabling the fuel to be used for sustainable aviation fuel and sold into low-carbon markets such as California. However, the USD$9 billion project has met with years of resistance from landowners, environmental groups and lawmakers, reports the Carbon Herald.¹

Pipeline Materials

According to a 2023 Fenstermaker blogpost², carbon capture pipelines need to be constructed using with materials that can handle the specific properties of carbon dioxide, such as its corrosive nature when combined with water. The company further reports that the captured carbon dioxide is compressed into a dense, near-liquid state, known as supercritical carbon dioxide. This reduces its volume and facilitates transportation. The supercritical carbon dioxide is then transported through the pipeline system, which typically consists of high-strength steel pipes with protective coatings to prevent corrosion. The pipeline’s diameter and wall thickness are carefully selected based on the anticipated carbon dioxide flow rate and pressure.

The company adds that pipeline monitoring and safety systems are put in place to prevent leaks and ensure the integrity of the pipeline network. In case of leaks, prompt response measures are implemented to minimize potential risks to public health and the environment.

Skylark: A JIP into Pipeline Operations

Elsewhere, many companies are working hard to help develop pipelines for carbon capture. In a recent press release, DNV discussed advances on Skylark³, a joint industry project to enhance understanding of carbon dioxide pipeline operations ensuring regulators and operators globally have access to the highest quality of information to make their decisions.

Skylark participants are said to include the UK Health and Safety Executive Science Division (HSE SD), University of Arkansas, Ricardo’s UK National Chemical Emergency Centre, the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Giving a sense of perspective, the press communication refers to a DNV Energy Transition Outlook 2024 report which forecasts that carbon dioxide pipelines will need to grow from 9,500 km today to over 200,000 km by 2050 to support industrial decarbonization. Skylark will provide essential safety insights through advanced modeling, real-world testing, and emergency response analysis to enable this expansion.

A key focus is understanding carbon dioxide behaviour during pipeline incidents, including dispersion patterns under different terrain and weather conditions. Large-scale experiments at DNV’s Spadeadam Research and Testing Centre will study crater formation and dispersion, while wind tunnel testing at the University of Arkansas will complement field studies. Emergency response protocols will also be tested in real-world scenarios with first responders. These insights will help operators enhance safety measures and regulators strengthen frameworks as CCS deployment accelerates.

Politics and Projects

As an industry, CCS is also being shaped by political decisions. For an up-to-date appreciation of the situation in Germany, please do consider an online article released in July this year by global law firm Taylor Wessing⁴. Headed: New Legal Framework for the Commercial Use of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), this publication reflects on the German government’s presentation of a draft bill to amend the Carbon Capture Storage Act.

Also in July this year, Equinor, Fluxys and OGE⁵ announced they were joining forces to develop a cross-border carbon dioxide infrastructure from Germany to Norway via Belgium. Pascal De Buck, CEO and managing director of Fluxys, acting on behalf of Fluxys c-grid, signed a memorandum of understanding with Norwegian energy company Equinor and German transmission system operator OGE, in the presence of Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele and North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister-President Hendrik Wüst. This MoU marks a significant step toward establishing a cross-border carbon dioxide transport infrastructure, connecting German industrial emitters to permanent storage sites under the Norwegian North Sea via Belgium. The agreement outlines a shared vision for a seamless, open-access carbon dioxide value chain.

Techno-Economic Assessment

And finally, readers keen for more detailed information about carbon capture might like to read a recent scientific report entitled ‘Carbon capture and utilization from an ethylene oxide plant for sustainable urea production: techno-economic assessment’.⁶

Particularly interesting will be the comments about pipeline optimization. For the record, note that this refers to a relatively short transmission pipeline (2.5 km/1.5 miles) connecting an ethylene oxide plant to a urea plant.

Various options and strategies are considered, such as the desirability to remove water from the carbon dioxide to reduce the possibility of corrosion. However, the authors state that: “given the presence of water vapor (~ 2%) alongside carbon dioxide in line 400, and the climatic conditions of the site, Asaluyeh city where summer temperatures can surpass 45°C and winter temperatures drop to 7°C there is a risk of liquid formation due to condensation. Therefore, utilizing a stainless-steel pipeline is recommended to prevent corrosion. It is important to note that the HX1 and Separator equipment in the ethylene oxide plant must also be fabricated from corrosion-resistant materials due to the potential formation of highly acidic liquids under high pressure. Therefore, it is assumed that both HX1 and the Separator will be constructed from stainless-steel.”

Capital costs were also considered. Noting that a reduction in pipeline diameter would reduce initial expenditure, the article comments that this would lead to an increase of gas velocity and pressure drop throughout the pipeline. This would drive up operating costs due to the additional power required by the compressors. As always, striking the right balance is key.