Fraunhofer Calculates Costs for CO2 Pipeline Network
To achieve a climate-neutral Germany by 2045, researchers modeled a CO₂ transport network approximately 7,000 kilometers long and analyzed its technical design and the required investment.
November 2, 2026
Source: E & M powernews
Researchers at Fraunhofer CINES have modeled a nationwide CO2 pipeline network. They estimate that approximately 7,000 kilometers of pipelines would require an investment of 17 billion euros.
In the future, a nationwide pipeline network could transport CO2 from industrial facilities and waste-to-energy plants to storage or utilization sites. A research group from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence “Integrated Energy Systems” (CINES) has investigated which pipelines would be required for this and what costs might be incurred. The result: A network approximately 7,000 kilometers long would require investments of about 17 billion euros.
The calculations are based on a case study for a climate-neutral Germany in 2045, which was published in the journal “Journal of CO2 Utilization.” According to the study, the researchers consider the modeled network to be technically feasible. It is primarily intended to capture hard-to-avoid CO2 emissions from cement and lime plants as well as waste-to-energy facilities. The pipelines would run predominantly along existing natural gas pipelines.
The study is part of a new planning method jointly developed by several Fraunhofer Institutes. It is intended to help companies and potential network operators evaluate future CO2 transport infrastructures from both technical and economic perspectives.
Locations and Transport Needs as a Basis
According to Mehrnaz Anvari, the study’s lead author, strategic planning for CO2 pipelines in Germany and Europe is still in its infancy. For companies to invest, they must be able to compare different development scenarios, including technical requirements and costs.
This is precisely where the new method comes in. To this end, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institutes for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), and for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies (IEG) have linked five planning levels.
First, they examine how the energy system will develop in the long term and at which locations CO2 will be produced or required in the future. They consider potential sources such as cement plants, lime plants, and waste-to-energy facilities. On the consumer side, the calculations include, among other things, refineries, basic chemical production sites, and ports for onward transport to offshore storage facilities.
Based on this location data, the researchers determine transportation needs and possible pipeline routes. In doing so, they take into account existing gas pipelines, population density, and the conservation status of the affected areas.
Simulation Determines Pipeline Diameter
A customized network simulator then calculates how CO₂ behaves within the pipelines. It models the physical flow conditions during the transport of CO₂ in the dense phase. From this, the researchers determine the required pipe diameters and the number of pumps needed to maintain the specified pressure and temperature ranges.
For the modeled nationwide network, the main transport routes require pipelines with a nominal diameter of DN 700. For branch lines, the calculations specify smaller diameters of DN 500 or DN 400. This technical design forms the basis for estimating the investment requirements.
According to Fraunhofer CINES, the method is not limited to nationwide networks. It can also be applied to individual industrial sites, regional CO2 clusters, or cross-border transport infrastructures.
In addition, researchers can combine different modes of transport. In addition to pipelines, ships, trains, and trucks can also be included in the analyses. This allows companies, for example, to examine how changes in CO2 volumes, additional industrial sites, or cross-border transport affect infrastructure requirements.
On this basis, potential operators and industrial companies should be able to compare different expansion options, assess investment risks, and identify measures that remain viable even under changing conditions.
On November 9, Fraunhofer CINES will present the method in a webinar. The researchers plan to explain their calculations using a multimodal CO2 transport system in North Rhine-Westphalia as an example. They will also present an online tool that can be used to roughly model potential CO2 transport routes within Germany.
Author: Davina Spohn