Pipeline Infrastructure for CO₂ Transport: Cost Analysis and Design Optimization

Meeting Germany’s climate targets urgently demands substantial investment in renewable energies such as hydrogen, as well as tackling industrial CO₂ emissions with a strong CO₂ transport infrastructure. This is particularly crucial for CO₂-heavy industries such as steel, cement, lime production, power plants, and chemical plants, given Germany’s ban on onshore storage. The CO₂ transport network is essential for maintaining a circular economy by capturing, transporting, and either storing or utilizing CO₂. This study fills gaps in CO₂ pipeline transport research, examining pipeline diameters, costs, and pressure drop, and providing sensitivity analysis. Key findings show that the levelized cost of CO₂ transport (LCO2T) ranges from 0.25 €/t to 55.82 €/t based on varying transport masses (1000 t/day to 25,000 t/day) and distances (25 km to 500 km), with compression costs pushing LCO2T to 33.21 €/t to 92.82 €/t. Analyzing eight pipeline diameters (150 mm to 500 mm) and the impact of CO₂ flow temperature on pressure loss highlights the importance of selecting optimal pipeline sizes. Precise booster station placement is also crucial, as it significantly affects the total LCO2T. Exploring these areas can offer a more thorough understanding of the best strategies for developing cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable transport infrastructure.