"Key challenges in rolling out the CO₂ value chain on a large scale"
Technical, regulatory and economic challenges associated with infrastructure integrity and material compatibility
We met in Madrid to analyse the technical, regulatory and economic challenges associated with infrastructure integrity and material compatibility in CO₂ capture, transport and storage (CCUS) projects.
The decarbonisation of European industry necessarily involves the roll-out of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies. However, ensuring that CO₂ transport and storage infrastructures operate safely, reliably and efficiently remains one of the main challenges to accelerate its large-scale deployment.
Norms and standards for CO₂ transport
TECNALIA brought together industrial operators, engineering firms, materials manufacturers, technology suppliers and research organisations in Madrid to share knowledge and address challenges related to the integrity of CO₂ infrastructures, material compatibility, impurity management and the validation of technologies that develop safe and scalable CCUS solutions.
- One of the main topics discussed during the conference was the development of the regulatory and standardisation framework.
- The participants agreed that there is a need for clearer specifications regarding CO₂ quality, testing methodologies and qualification procedures to provide reassurance to investors and project developers.
- The importance of ensuring that these requirements are underpinned by sound technical evidence and do not impose excessive restrictions that might increase costs without delivering any real benefits in terms of safety or operational performance was also highlighted.
Material compatibility and the impact of impurities: technical challenges yet to be resolved
The discussions also highlighted significant technical uncertainties that continue to hinder the development of new projects.
The presence of water and impurities, along with the combination of CO₂ streams from different industrial processes, may significantly affect the fluid’s thermodynamic performance, corrosion phenomena, material compatibility and the operation of infrastructures.
The experts highlighted the need to generate more representative experimental data to enable a better understanding of these phenomena, validate predictive models and provide the industry with greater confidence when designing infrastructures and selecting suitable materials for CO₂ transport and storage.
Scalability and business models: challenges in accelerating the roll-out of CCUS
Beyond the technological challenges, the event highlighted that the large-scale roll-out of CCUS solutions will require robust business models and regulatory frameworks that facilitate investment.
Unlike other industrial products, CO₂ is generally regarded as a waste stream that needs to be managed, so financial incentives to optimise costs throughout the entire value chain remain limited. Aspects such as the financial viability of projects, the allocation of responsibilities among the various stakeholders, financial support mechanisms and the definition of viable business models were identified as key factors in driving new investment.
Collaboration, a key factor to drive the CO₂ value chain
If there was one concept that was brought up repeatedly throughout the meeting, it was that of collaboration. The participants agreed that cooperation between operators, engineering firms, materials manufacturers, technology suppliers, research centres and public authorities will be essential to reduce uncertainties, share knowledge and accelerate the technological maturity of the CO₂ value chain.
The event confirmed the value of creating forums where different stakeholders can exchange experiences, identify common challenges and promote joint initiatives in research, validation and technology demonstration.
TECNALIA’s commitment to developing safe and scalable CCUS solutions
The meeting highlighted the importance of continuing to promote research, experimental validation and collaboration in order to develop solutions that ensure the safety and reliability of future CO₂ infrastructures.
Our aim is to accelerate industrial decarbonisation and move towards a climate-neutral economy. We will continue to work with industry and technology providers to address these challenges, assess and validate materials and infrastructures, and foster carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) solutions.
The forum was attended by DNV, ENAGAS, NORTEGAS, REPSOL, TUBACEX, VALLOUREC, EXOLUM, TÉCNICAS REUNIDAS, PTCO2, the European Corrosion Federation and OLI SYSTEM.