As nations race to meet net-zero targets, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a vital tool for curbing emissions from hard-to-abate industries such as cement, steel, and oil sands.

At the heart of this technology lies an often-overlooked component: pipelines. These specialized networks transport captured carbon dioxide from emission sources to permanent underground storage sites, forming the critical link that makes large-scale climate mitigation possible.

How Carbon Capture and Storage Works

CCS works in three stages. First, CO2 is captured from industrial flue gases or directly from the air. It is then compressed into a dense liquid-like state and moved to suitable geological formations—depleted oil and gas reservoirs or deep saline aquifers—where it is injected for permanent storage.

Without reliable transport, the process stalls. Pipelines offer the most efficient and cost-effective method for moving large volumes of CO2 over long distances, far outperforming trucks, rail, or ships for onshore and many offshore applications.

Existing Infrastructure Remains Limited

The existing infrastructure remains modest. The global CO2 pipeline network currently spans just over 11,500 kilometers, with the vast majority operating in the United States, where more than 8,000 km transport tens of millions of tonnes annually—primarily for enhanced oil recovery.

Europe and other regions lag, though projects are accelerating. According to an analysis in the Pipeline Technology Journal, realizing industrial-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage requires transporting dense CO2 over long distances, and the U.S. alone aims to expand its network to 50,000–150,000 km by 2050 to support net-zero goals.

Projects Gain Momentum Worldwide

Recent developments underscore the urgency and momentum. In Norway, the Northern Lights project has begun injecting CO2 from industrial sources, marking the world’s first commercial third-party transport and storage service.

Capacity is set to grow from 1.5 million tonnes per year to more than 5 million by 2028. In Canada, oil sands producers are targeting a late 2027 final investment decision on the Pathways Alliance project, which includes a major CO2 transportation pipeline and storage hub designed to cut 6 million tonnes of emissions by the mid-2030s.

In the United Kingdom, the Northern Endurance Partnership is advancing offshore pipeline infrastructure, while Liverpool Bay CCS plans to reuse existing lines alongside new segments.

Southeast Asia Emerges as a Storage Hub

Southeast Asia is also emerging as a pipeline frontier. Malaysia’s Kasawari project plans a 138-kilometer subsea pipeline to store 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 annually, with first injection targeted for 2027.

Indonesia’s Sunda Asri hub envisions a 180-kilometer pipeline feeding multi-gigatonne storage capacity, potentially accepting imported CO2.

These efforts, detailed in a Pipeline Technology Journal analysis, position the region as a potential storage hub for emitters in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore that lack suitable geology.

The Scale Required for Net Zero

The International Energy Agency emphasizes that pipelines are essential for scaling CCS. In pathways consistent with limiting warming, CCS could deliver nearly 15% of cumulative emissions reductions.

 Yet current capture capacity remains a fraction of what is needed—roughly 40–50 million tonnes per year globally against targets requiring gigatonne-scale deployment by mid-century.

Experts project that hundreds of thousands of kilometers of new CO2 pipelines will be required worldwide by 2050.

Safety and Integrity Challenges

Safety and integrity remain paramount. Dense-phase CO2 pipelines face unique challenges, including corrosion risks from impurities and the need for rigorous monitoring.

Public concerns, heightened by a 2020 incident in Mississippi, have slowed some U.S. proposals. Industry groups stress that decades of operational experience, combined with advanced integrity management, can achieve near-zero incidents as networks expand.

However, challenges persist. High capital costs, permitting delays, public acceptance, and the need for coordinated policy support, including carbon pricing and shared infrastructure hubs, slow down the pace of CCS projects implementation.

Critics argue that over-reliance on CCS could delay deeper emissions cuts, while proponents counter that for sectors without ready alternatives, pipelines enable the only near-term path to deep decarbonization while supporting economic activity.

As governments and companies pour resources into CCS hubs from the North Sea to the Gulf Coast and Southeast Asian waters, pipelines are proving indispensable.

They are not merely conduits of gas but arteries of the emerging carbon management economy—quietly carrying the captured emissions that must stay out of the atmosphere if climate goals are to be met.

The scale of expansion required is immense, yet the technology is proven, and the projects now advancing suggest the infrastructure is beginning to catch up with ambition.