Optimization of pipeline transport for CO 2 sequestration Z.X. Zhang, G.X. Wang, P. Massarotto, V. Rudolph * Division of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia Received 1 December 2004; accepted 10 June 2005 Available online 25 July 2005 Abstract Coal fired power generation will continue to provide energy to the world for the foreseeable future. How- ever, this energy use is a significant contributor to increased atmospheric CO 2 concentration and, hence, global warming. Capture and disposal of CO 2 has received increased R&D attention in the last decade as the technology promises to be the most cost effective for large scale reductions in CO 2 emissions. This paper addresses CO 2 transport via pipeline from capture site to disposal site, in terms of system optimiza- tion, energy efficiency and overall economics. Technically, CO 2 can be transported through pipelines in the form of a gas, a supercritical fluid or in the subcooled liquid state. Operationally, most CO 2 pipelines used for enhanced oil recovery transport CO 2 as a supercritical fluid. In this paper, supercritical fluid and subcooled liquid transport are examined and com- pared, including their impacts on energy efficiency and cost. Using a commercially available process sim- ulator, ASPEN PLUS 10.1, the results show that subcooled liquid transport maximizes the energy efficiency and minimizes the cost of CO 2 transport over long distances under both isothermal and adiabatic conditions. Pipeline transport of subcooled liquid CO 2 can be ideally used in areas of cold climate or by burying and insulating the pipeline. In very warm climates, periodic refrigeration to cool the CO 2 below its critical point of 31.1 °C, may prove economical. Simulations have been used to determine the maximum safe pipeline distances to subsequent booster sta- tions as a function of inlet pressure, environmental temperature and ground level heat flux conditions. Ó 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Keywords: Carbon dioxide; Transportation; Pipeline; Compression; Energy efficiency; Sequestration 0196-8904/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2005.06.001 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +61 7 3365 4171; fax: +61 7 3365 4199. E-mail address: victorr@cheque.uq.edu.au (V. Rudolph). www.elsevier.com/locate/enconman Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 702–715