Carbon Capture and Storage - Transport

Transport

After capture, the CO₂ would have to be transported to suitable storage sites. This is done by pipeline, which is generally the cheapest form of transport. In 2008, there were approximately 5,800 km of CO₂ pipelines in the United States, used to transport CO₂ to oil production fields where it is then injected into older fields to extract oil. The injection of CO₂ to produce oil is generally called Enhanced Oil Recovery or EOR. In addition, there are several pilot programs in various stages to test the long-term storage of CO₂ in non-oil producing geologic formations.

According to the Congressional Research Service, "There are important unanswered questions about pipeline network requirements, economic regulation, utility cost recovery, regulatory classification of CO₂ itself, and pipeline safety. Furthermore, because CO₂ pipelines for enhanced oil recovery are already in use today, policy decisions affecting CO₂ pipelines take on an urgency that is unrecognized by many. Federal classification of CO₂ as both a commodity (by the Bureau of Land Management) and as a pollutant (by the Environmental Protection Agency) could potentially create an immediate conflict which may need to be addressed not only for the sake of future CCS implementation, but also to ensure consistency of future CCS with CO₂ pipeline operations today."

A COA conveyor belt system or ship could also be utilized for transport. These methods are currently used for transporting CO₂ for other applications.