Comparing Existing Pipeline Networks with the Potential Scale of Future U.S. CO2 Pipeline Networks.

Abstract: Interest is growing regarding the potential size of a future U.S.-dedicated carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipeline infrastructure if carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies are commercially deployed on a large scale within the United States. This paper assesses the potential scale of the CO₂ pipeline system needed under two hypothetical climate policies (WRE450 and WRE550 stabilization scenarios); a comparison is then made to the extant U.S. pipeline infrastructures used to deliver CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery and to move natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons from areas of production and importation to markets. The analysis reveals that between 11,000 and 23,000 additional miles of dedicated CO₂ pipeline might be needed in the United States before 2050 across these two cases. While either case represents a significant increase over the 3900 miles that comprise the existing national CO₂ pipeline infrastructure, it is important to realize that the demand for additional CO₂ pipeline capacity will unfold relatively slowly and in a geographically dispersed manner as new dedicated CCS-enabled power plants and industrial facilities are brought online. During the period 2010–2030, this analysis indicates growth in the CO₂ pipeline system on the order of a few hundred to less than 1000 miles per year. By comparison, during the period 1950–2000, the U.S. natural gas pipeline distribution system grew at rates that far exceed these growth projections for a future CO₂ pipeline network in the U.S. This analysis indicates that the need to increase the size of the existing dedicated CO₂ pipeline system should not be seen as a major obstacle for the commercial deployment of CCS technologies in the United States. While there could be issues associated with siting specific segments of a larger national CO₂ pipeline infrastructure, the sheer scale of the required infrastructure should not be seen as representing a significant impediment to U.S. deployment of CCS technologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]