Technoeconomic Analysis of Infrastructure for Transporting Captured CO₂ to Central Conditioning Unit

Carbon capture from bio-methane production will be an important tool in the Danish climate strategy towards 2050. These point sources are relatively small, remotely located, and can likely benefit from shared transport infrastructures. In this paper, a system comprising the compression and transport of impure CO₂ in a gaseous state through a pipeline from a small production site to a central conditioning unit was analyzed. A technical model was made, which served as the basis for an economic analysis. The gas was delivered at two different pressure levels to the shared central conditioning unit. The effects of varying gas flow rates and transport distances were investigated and the economic optimal pipeline diameter for each case was identified. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of relevant economic assumptions was performed to determine whether the investigated parameters affected the optimal diameter and costs. It was found, that the delivery of gas at 2 bar at the central unit compared to 18 bar was cheaper, except for the longest investigated distances and smallest mass flow rates. The importance of choosing the optimal pipe size became more important as the transport distance increased and as the mass flow rate decreased. The estimated capital investment of the pipeline showed to be the most sensitive parameter while the compressor efficiency was the least important parameter. The results of the study can be used in future analyses to benchmark the costs of local conditioning at small point sources to that of a shared central conditioning system