Optimised deployment of a European CO2 transport network

Abstract If CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) is to become a viable option for low-carbon power generation, its deployment will require the construction of dedicated CO 2 transport infrastructure. This paper describes the InfraCCS model, which can determine the likely extent and cost of the optimal least-cost CO 2 transport network at European scale for the period 2015–2050, with 2015 the earliest foreseeable starting date of the CCS projects co-funded by the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR), and 2050 the EU's target date for 80–95% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The computation is made possible by a number of methodological innovations compared to previous research, in particular: the use of k-means clustering to reduce the number of nodes in the network; the application of the Delaunay triangulation algorithm for pipeline pre-selection; and the introduction of a mathematically convenient yet realistic new pipeline costing model. The InfraCCS tool is applied to determine the optimal network corresponding to a CCS scenario that ensures near-complete decarbonisation of the European power sector. It is shown that the size of the CO 2 network could range from 11,000 to 17,000 km by 2050, requiring 16–36 billion euros investment, with the higher numbers corresponding to the case when onshore aquifers are excluded as potential CO 2 storage sites. Since the model shows that by 2030 more than half of the EU Member States could be involved in cross-border CO 2 transport, international coordination seems crucial for the development of an optimised trans-European CO 2 transport network.