CO₂ transport

After capture CO₂ must be transported to suitable storage sites. Pumping carbon dioxide though pipelines is the cheapest form of transport, and it is a well known and reliable technology.

There are 5800 km of CO₂ pipelines in the United States which transport CO₂ to oil production fields where the CO₂ is injected in old, mature fields to help produce more oil. The injection of CO₂ to produce more oil is generally called ‘Enhanced Oil Recovery' or EOR.

However, with the increased number and carrying capacity of pipelines that a large-scale CCS industry would require, there will need to be further studies of pipeline safety, particularly in heavily populated areas, or areas of high earthquake activity.

Ships and road tankers can also be used to transport CO₂ for small scale applications.

Undersea pipeline taking CO₂ from a power station to offshore disposal well.

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) research
• Advanced seismic techniques
• CO₂ storage Sleipner
• Clean coal exploitation and unconventional gas

• BBC CCS Interview
  Dr Mike Stephenson (BGS)

• Ireland Study Report
• SACS Best Practice Manual
• Sequestration: the underground storage of carbon dioxide
• CO₂ storage capacity estimation: methodology and gaps
• IPCC special report
• Southern North Sea case study
• East Irish Sea case study