CALGARY, Alta. - The Government of Alberta will invest $US1 million into Enbridge Inc.'s CO2 Slurry Pipeline Project being developed in the United States to lessen the impact of the pipeline industry on the environment.
Where conventional slurry pipelines rely on liquids such as water to carry entrained solids, the Enbridge project proposes using carbon dioxide. Enbridge says that carbon dioxide is a more efficient carrier fluid than water because it is less abrasive, is able to carry a greater volume of material, and delivers solids that are dry rather than wet.
Under the program, carbon dioxide will be compressed into a liquid, then pumped through a pipeline to transport materials. Afterwards, the carbon dioxide will be stored underground in a manner similar to carbon capture and storage projects.
The government funding will be used for Phase 1 of the project, which will cost $1-$2 million and take approximately two years to complete. This phase, the CO2 Slurry Pipeline Research Initiative, will determine the viability of building a long-distance carbon dioxide slurry pipeline, which would transport sulphur, petroleum coke and limestone from the Fort McMurray area to local and international markets.
Phase 2 will involve building a carbon dioxide flow loop to prove slurry and de-slurry capability, while Phase 3 will involve commercial operation and market integration.
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