Penspen Awarded Major CO₂ Pipeline Study in Switzerland

Engineering study to define high level design and standards for Swiss CO₂ transport network

International engineering consultancy Penspen has been awarded a pre-FEED study by CO₂ Pipeline Schweiz AG to support the development of a national CO₂ transport system in Switzerland.

The study focuses on the high-level design of a CO₂ pipeline corridor between Basel and Zurich, with consideration of onward connections across eastern and central Switzerland. The work forms part of Switzerland’s wider effort to establish carbon transport infrastructure capable of supporting national emissions reduction targets.

Penspen’s scope covers the technical design of the pipeline backbone and associated hubs, including intermediate valve stations, compressor stations and supporting infrastructure. The project, delivered by Penspen’s engineering teams in Aberdeen and London, will also provide routing support, site selection input, support to the economic evaluation and guidance on regulatory and standards alignment for CO₂ transport within the Swiss context. The project is scheduled to complete in March 2027.

A key objective of the study is to help shape consistent technical and assessment standards for CO₂ pipelines in Switzerland. These standards are intended to support future project development and provide a common reference for operators, regulators and stakeholders. Penspen has extensive engineering experience in long-length pipeline projects for the transportation of CO₂, with recent work including the HyNet CO₂ transportation pipeline at Liverpool Bay in the UK and a dense phase CO₂ pipeline in the United Arab Emirates.

Darren Bartlett, Director of Engineering and Energy Transition at Penspen commented: “This appointment builds on Penspen’s global experience supporting large scale CO₂ transport and storage projects and reflects the growing demand for early phase engineering studies that can underpin the safe and practical deployment of carbon management infrastructure.

“Together with CO2 Pipeline Schweiz AG, we are proud to progress this pioneering carbon transportation system project designed to serve multiple emitters including waste incineration, cement plants and industrial plants across the region, contributing to Switzerland’s national emissions reduction goals.”

Dominik Wlodarczak, CEO, CO₂ Pipeline Schweiz AG, said: “We are happy to benefit from Penspen’s comprehensive expertise in designing pipeline systems and from its customer-centred interactive approach.”

Image copyright – CO2 Pipeline Schweiz AG