CO2 Transport Cost Calculator
This calculator estimates the annual cost of transporting captured CO2 by pipeline from a capture facility to a storage or utilization site -- the middle link in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) cost chain, sitting between capture and permanent storage. It takes the annual CO2 volume to transport, the pipeline distance, and a transport rate per ton-mile, then reports the total annual transport cost and the transport cost per ton. It pairs naturally with our CO2 Capture Cost Calculator and CO2 Storage/Sequestration Cost Calculator for the upstream and downstream pieces of the CCS cost chain, and our planned 45Q Tax Credit Calculator for the U.S. tax credit that often makes these projects economic.
The annual tonnage of captured CO2 to be moved from the capture facility to the storage or utilization site.
The distance from the capture facility to the storage or utilization site.
Onshore pipeline transport commonly totals $10-30/ton for typical distances once conditioning (drying, compression, metering) is included -- this rate is calibrated to land in that range for a representative ~100-mile route. Longer distances, offshore routes, or ship-based transport can push costs meaningfully higher.
annual CO2 volume to transport (tons/year) × pipeline distance (miles) × transport rate ($/ton-mile)
total annual transport cost ($) ÷ annual CO2 volume to transport (tons/year)
Results update live as you type. For planning and field-check estimates — always verify against applicable standards and equipment ratings.
How we calculate this →Pipeline transport is often the most overlooked link in the CCS cost chain, but distance matters enormously -- doubling the pipeline distance roughly doubles transport cost in this model. At 100 miles and a representative rate, moving 900,000 tons of CO2 a year costs about $13.5 million annually, or $15/ton -- squarely within the commonly cited $10-30/ton range for onshore pipeline routes. This is exactly why CCS projects strongly favor sites near existing pipeline infrastructure or short distances to suitable storage formations, since transport cost can meaningfully erode the economics of an otherwise well-sited capture project.
How CO2 transport cost is calculated
This calculator estimates the annual cost of transporting captured CO2 by pipeline from a capture facility to a storage or utilization site by multiplying the annual CO2 volume by the pipeline distance and a transport rate per ton-mile, then dividing the total by the volume to show the cost per ton. Two quantities tie the calculation together.
Total Annual Transport Cost ($/year) = Annual CO2 Volume to Transport (tons/year) × Pipeline Distance (miles) × Transport Rate ($/ton-mile). The transport rate is expressed per ton-mile -- the cost of moving one ton of CO2 one mile -- so multiplying the annual tonnage by the pipeline distance and by that rate gives the total annual cost of running the transport system. At the defaults (900,000 tons/year, 100 miles, and $0.15/ton-mile), that is 900,000 × 100 × $0.15 = $13,500,000/year.
Transport Cost per Ton ($/ton) = Total Annual Transport Cost ($/year) ÷ Annual CO2 Volume to Transport (tons/year). Dividing the total annual transport cost by the annual tonnage gives the average cost to transport each ton of CO2 -- the figure most directly comparable to capture cost per ton and storage cost per ton. At the defaults ($13,500,000/year and 900,000 tons/year), that is $13,500,000 ÷ 900,000 = $15.00/ton.
Two notes on the model. First, the transport rate per ton-mile is the single most consequential input alongside distance, and it bundles the conditioning cost (drying, compression to a supercritical or dense liquid state, metering) that CO2 requires before pipeline transport -- onshore pipeline transport commonly totals $10-30/ton for typical distances once conditioning is included, so the default rate is calibrated to land in that range for a representative ~100-mile route. Longer distances, offshore routes, or ship-based transport can push costs meaningfully higher, so the editable field lets you substitute a project-specific figure. Second, this calculator covers pipeline transport cost only; the upstream capture and downstream permanent storage cost components are addressed by the CO2 Capture Cost Calculator and the CO2 Storage/Sequestration Cost Calculator, and the planned 45Q Tax Credit Calculator addresses the U.S. tax credit that often offsets much of the combined CCS cost. Data sources: CO2 pipeline transport cost ranges and per-ton-mile rate benchmarks from DOE (Department of Energy), NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory), and IEA (International Energy Agency) CCS technology assessments; CO2 conditioning (compression, drying, metering) cost components from NETL and industry case studies; existing U.S. CO2 pipeline infrastructure and EOR-related deployment from DOE and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) data; onshore pipeline transport cost ranges ($10-30/ton) from IEA and NETL CCS cost chain analyses. Verification: with defaults (900,000 tons/year, 100 miles, $0.15/ton-mile), Total Annual Transport Cost = $13,500,000/year, Transport Cost per Ton = $15.00/ton.