Economic optimization of CO2 pipeline configurations

Abstract

In this article, an economic optimization tool is developed taking into account different steel grades, inlet pressure, diameter and booster stations for point-to-point pipelines as well as for simple networks. Preliminary results show that gaseous CO2 transport is cost effective for relatively small mass flows and short (trunk) pipelines. For instance, for a pipeline transporting 5 Mt/y over 100 km of agricultural terrain, gaseous transport would cost 10.2 (including initial compression). In terms of materials, the results indicate that higher steel grades (X70) are the most cost effective for onshore pipelines transporting liquid CO2 while for gaseous CO2 lower steel grades (X42) are more cost effective.