Risk analysis methodology for CO2 transport including quantified risk calculation

Abstract

One important issue in applying CCS in Europe is the routing of the pipeline between the source and the storage. The route often passes near inhabited areas and both economic, environmental and risk issues must be considered. Studies on pipeline routing and quantitative risk calculation have been performed for fictive but realistic pipeline scenarios. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based route selection process was used for narrowing potential alternatives into one final alignment. The route selection process was based on construction costs as well as important “soft” issues. The risks connected to the selected pipeline route were then analyzed using a GIS-based risk analysis system developed within the Vattenfall CCS project. In this tool the consequences of a leak somewhere along the pipe is calculated, together with the probability of getting the leak. By doing this for the whole pipeline the total societal risk can be calculated and shown in an F/N-diagram. This makes it easy to check against authority demands and also as part of the material used when applying for permit by giving an informative and balanced picture of the risk. GIS is used in the risk tool to keep book on all damage objects in the vicinity of the pipeline route, to analyze which of them are influenced by a potential leak and also in the calculation of the leak probability.