General – CO2 transport
Wintershall Dea is working with the OTH Regensburg University of Applied Sciences to explore how existing natural gas pipelines in the southern North Sea can be used for future CO2 transport.
Initial calculations paint a positive picture. Results obtained so far suggest that the offshore pipelines could be safely and efficiently repurposed for transport of liquid CO2. As the study progresses, technical feasibility will be tested, and certification will take place.
There are over 4,800 kilometers of pipelines in the southern North Sea, of which 1,200 kilometers are operated by Wintershall Noordzee, a 50:50 joint venture between Wintershall Dea and Gazprom EP International. Parts of this network could be used for CO2 transport. Wintershall Noordzee also operates numerous depleted reservoirs. These are potentially suitable for storing CO2, which can play an important role in climate protection. The Dutch Continental Shelf offers enormous potential: experts estimate that around 800 million tons of CO2 could be stored there.
“We are optimistic about the further investigations. Our calculations already show that existing offshore pipelines could be well suited for transporting liquid CO2,” says Klaus Langemann, Senior Vice President of Carbon Management and Hydrogen at Wintershall Dea.
Together with industry and research partners, Wintershall Dea has developed innovative calculation models that enable completely new insights in this technological field. The next step will be to demonstrate the reliability of the evaluation process and prove the feasibility experimentally.
