As companies across the United States (US) start using carbon capture or direct air capture to reduce the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, we need to plan how we’re going to transport the CO2 to sites for secure geologic storage or utilization. While the US has over 5,000 miles of CO2 pipelines already, we’ll need to expand this infrastructure to use or store captured CO2 and meet our midcentury climate goals.
To make this goal a reality, there will need to be public understanding and trust in the CO2 pipeline regulatory process and government and industry coordination to ensure that pipelines continue to transport CO2 safely and reliably.
Key takeaways
- CO2 transport infrastructure will be essential to decarbonizing key industries and regions. Current estimates indicate that CO2 pipelines in the US will need to expand by up to 68,000 miles to meet net zero and midcentury climate goals.
- CO2 pipelines have been operating in the US for 50 years, with over 5,000 miles of pipelines currently in operation.
- Safety data show that CO2 pipelines have been and can be operated at the highest level of safety by utilizing industry best practices.
- CO2 pipelines are regulated at both the federal and state level. Generally, federal agencies regulate safety requirements, and state agencies oversee the siting and permitting process.
How does carbon capture help meet our climate goals?
Carbon capture technologies help remove CO2, which directly contributes to climate change, from industrial and power facilities or the atmosphere. Globally, organizations researching climate change have stated that carbon capture, removal, transport, use, and storage will be needed to enable net-zero emissions to meet midcentury climate goals.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates in their 1.5°C target scenario that we’ll need to capture and eventually remove huge amounts of CO2 already in the atmosphere—up to ten billion metric tons per year by 2050 globally. That’s roughly twice as much as the US’s current annual emissions.
Removing this carbon will require the global carbon management industry to scale at a massive rate. The International Energy Agency estimates in their Net Zero by 2050 report that the global carbon management industry will need to grow to well over 2,000 facilities, capturing 2.8 billion metric tons of CO2 per year to meet net zero by 2070. To reach the more ambitious net zero by 2050, capture rates must more than double to almost 8 billion metric tons per year.
So, why do we need CO2 pipelines? Isn’t carbon capture enough?
Carbon capture is the first step in the process of removing CO2 from emissions sources before it reaches the atmosphere. Once it’s been captured, it often needs to be moved before it can be used or stored somewhere—that’s when CO2 pipelines may be needed.
As the number of facilities capturing CO2 increases, the CO2 pipeline networks moving and transporting this CO2 will also need to expand. Specifically, CO2 captured away from areas suitable for geologic storage or near utilization sites will need to be transported, sometimes across large regions. Not all emitting facilities are near storage or utilization opportunities, making coordinated, interconnected CO2 transportation networks an essential part of using carbon capture to meet climate goals.
Why pipelines? Aren’t there other ways to transport CO2?
There are many ways to transport CO2, including by pipeline, truck, rail, and boat. Although CO2 can and is transported by truck and rail in small quantities, pipelines are the most efficient, cost-effective, and safest way to transport captured CO2 to geologic storage or utilization sites. These pipelines can be used to form extensive transportation networks from industrial facilities such as steel, cement, chemicals manufacturing, ammonia, natural gas processing, and ethanol, as well as power facilities and direct air capture facilities.
CO2 pipelines are also versatile. They can be built underground or underwater and safely and reliably transport CO2 captured from emitting sources or directly from the ambient air. This versatility will be incredibly important as the US scales up its carbon management system.
Okay, so we need CO2 pipelines. Do they already exist in the US?
Yes! Pipelines are the most common way to transport CO2 in the US, and some have been operating for more than 50 years. As of 2023, 50 operating pipelines in the US span over 5,000 miles. Some individual pipelines transport millions of tons of CO2 annually over hundreds of miles across entire regions.
As CO2 transport scales to support the decarbonization of key industries and regions in the US, current estimates indicate that the US must expand this infrastructure by up to 68,000 miles. However, increased coordination and hubs could decrease the number of miles of pipeline needed. In comparison, nearly 385,000 miles of operational pipelines in the US carry petroleum, natural gas, oil, and other products.
Planning and investing in CO2 transport infrastructure now will reduce costs and land-use impacts while realizing needed economies of scale.
Existing, proposed, and projected need of CO2 pipelines
| Pipeline status | Length (mi) | Annual CO2 transport (MtCO2/yr) |
| Existing | 5,300 | 68 |
| Proposed | 3,650 | 39 |
| Projected requirement | 68,000 | 1,360 |
Sources: Based on data on existing pipelines from PHMSA and Global CCS Institute, Proposed pipelines from Heartland Greenway, Summit Carbon Solutions, Wolf Carbon Solutions, and the projected requirement from Eric Larson et al. Note: Annual CO2 transport is described in metric tons of CO2 per year (MtCO2/yr)
Who regulates CO2 pipelines?
Building our essential climate infrastructure, including CO2 pipelines, will require projects to be operated at the highest level of safety. CO2 pipelines in the US have an excellent safety record overall, surpassing the safety record of other infrastructure types.
Safety data show that CO2 pipelines have been and can be operated at the highest level of safety by industry operators following best practices. However, it’s important to recognize that, as with all infrastructure, there are risks associated with CO2 pipelines, which is why the US regulates pipelines at both the state and federal levels. Generally, state regulators oversee the pipeline siting and permitting process, while federal regulators enforce safety regulations.
State
Broadly, states regulate the permitting process and siting of CO2 pipeline projects. The state’s review process begins after a pipeline project developer applies to build a project. This process can vary from state to state and may be managed by different state and local government agencies. These agencies will review all aspects of the pipeline siting, construction, and operation plans to determine if the project should be approved. Agencies will also review if the project has a beneficial purpose and is economically feasible. After reviewing those factors, the state will compare the benefits to the potential negative impacts of all aspects of the proposal and determine if they will approve the application. Once a state approves a project’s application, the state will authorize a project, and construction can begin. Although not covered in this blog, states can also regulate some aspects of pipeline safety.
Federal
After a project is built, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulates pipeline safety. PHMSA oversees the inspection, maintenance, and monitoring of CO2 pipelines. PHMSA also publicly reports CO2 pipeline safety data.
If an incident occurs with a CO2 pipeline, PHMSA oversees the incident response. This response can include, among other items, investigating the incident, writing a report about the incident, and issuing a fine. For more information about what PHMSA requires pipeline operators to do to ensure the safe operation of CO2 pipelines, read our CO2 Pipeline Safety factsheet.
In 2022, PHMSA announced intentions to update standards for CO2 pipelines and issued a nationwide advisory bulletin to pipeline operators about the need to plan for and mitigate risks involving geohazards, such as sudden shifts in the ground from water or other causes, and is soliciting research grants for additional measures to strengthen CO2 pipeline safety further.
These steps built on existing CO2 pipeline regulations and were supported by the Great Plains Institute-convened Carbon Capture Coalition’s April 2022 comments to the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality on their interim carbon capture utilization and storage guidance.
PHMSA’s safety data show that CO2 pipelines have been and can be operated at the highest level of safety by using industry best practices. In the rare case of pipeline incidents, PHMSA can and should hold industry accountable while continuing to assess the existing regulatory framework to ensure that the industry can safely scale to meet midcentury decarbonization goals.
Interested in learning more about carbon management? Reach out to Emma Thomley at [email protected] to connect with our Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative (RDI) or to receive more news through our weekly RDI Update.
