Open Access Journal Journal of Power Technologies 94 (4) (2014) 323–328 Assessment of risk related to transport of carbon dioxide Andrzej Rusin ∗ , Katarzyna Stolecka Silesian University of Technology, Institute of Power Engineering and Turbomachinery ul. Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland Abstract Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the geological storage of carbon dioxide anticipates the need for carbon capture, transport and storage for power units that are planned or already under construction. Therefore, new power technologies based on firing hard coal or lignite have to take this requirement into account. This has legal and environmental impact ramifications, and pipeline infrastructure will have to be created to transport the captured CO 2 . This paper presents an analysis of the risk related to transport of CO 2 from power plants to storage sites. Potentially hazardous effects of an uncontrolled release of CO 2 caused by pipeline failure are shown and the risk level in areas surrounding the pipeline is determined. Keywords: carbon dioxide, pipeline, risk 1. Introduction One of the factors commonly perceived to be driv- ing climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide in particular. In 2009 the Eu- ropean Union adopted Directive 2009/31 EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the ge- ological storage of CO 2 . The Directive requires that Poland, as an EU member state whose power sec- tor is based on firing hard coal and lignite, should initiate works on the development and implemen- tation of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Putting these technologies into prac- tice will be a complex process, involving changes to law, major financial commitments and intense tech- nical engagement to ensure the safety of each stage of CCS. Research is now being done to develop tech- nologies that will allow commercially effective CO 2 capture. The following CO 2 capture technologies are ∗ Corresponding author known: technologies based on chemical absorption using a solution of monoethanolamine (MEA), sepa- ration from process gas in systems with coal gasifica- tion (pre-combustion) or oxy-combustion with CO 2 recirculation [1]. Individual CO 2 separation tech- nologies may employ different methods of CCS. Re- search is also being carried out to identify possible CO 2 storage sites. Determining the conditions of safe gas transport is an issue that still needs to be addressed more specifically. Although carbon diox- ide is considered to be a non-noxious gas, in large concentrations it can pose a serious threat to life. The risk related to CO 2 transport is presented be- low. There are various individual hazards involved: leakage of CO 2 from pipelines; release from facili- ties or intermediate storage points creating a hazard of human contact with a stream of very low tempera- ture gas; leakage from CO 2 storage tanks in sea/river ports; and leakage from equipment during CO 2 in- jection into geological formations.