Supercritical CO₂ pipeline transportation and safety

Supercritical CO₂ transportation by pipeline is the most economical and feasible method to transport large-scale CO₂. There are already some short distance gaseous CO₂ pipelines in China, but not long distance supercritical CO₂ pipelines yet. The paper introduces the status quo of supercritical CO₂ pipelines overseas, and there are no design and operation reference standards and CO₂ quality control standards yet. The risk and security issues related to pipeline transmission, such as corrosion, elastomeric seals, leakage and running fracture of supercritical CO₂ pipeline are analyzed. The aim of this paper is to draw upon the design, operating and risk control experiences gained from the existing CO₂ pipeline networks to provide references to the design and operation of supercritical CO₂ pipeline in China. Special attention should be paid on safety since the supercritical CO₂ pipeline will inevitably pass through densely populated areas in China.