Spatial clustering and carbon capture and storage deployment

Abstract

Abstract The deployment of carbon capture and storage technology involves a spatial coupling of point sources of carbon dioxide with geologic reservoirs capable of storing carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide captured from these point sources will be injected into these geologic reservoirs, which may or may not be proximal to the sources. This spatial coupling will occur through a dedicated carbon dioxide pipeline network that connects the industrial organization of carbon dioxide production and capture with the geologic organization of carbon dioxide injection and storage. The relative locations of these sources and sinks are an important component of the overall returns to scale for the integrated carbon capture and storage system. Aggregating CO 2 flows in close proximity to sources and reservoirs increases the utilization of economies of scale in pipeline transportation and impacts the returns to scale and preferred paths forward for targeted deployment of the entire coupled technological system. This paper derives deployment preferences by investigating how the spatial clustering and centralization of carbon dioxide sources and reservoirs affects the ability to aggregate CO 2 flows into networked pipelines. One major result is that, depending on the clustering within and between carbon dioxide sources and reservoirs, it can be advantageous to transport captured carbon dioxide to reservoirs that are not proximal to the point(s) of capture.