Transporting CO2: Launch of the European COCATE project led by IFP

27 January 2010
The European scientific research project COCATE has been signed in December 2009 and starts this month, January 2010.

Cocate's objective
The objective is to collect CO2 from areas in which it is generated and transport it to e.g. redundant oilfields deep underground. In layman’s terms; reducing CO2 emissions by storing the gas instead of relasing it into the atmosphere. This means that COCATE tackles the problems of rolling out a shared transportation infrastructure in Europe.

The project is led by Institut Francais du Pétrole (IFP) that brings together, including Accoat and IFP, 9 research and industrial partners: Le Havre Region Development Agency (France), Geogreen (France), SINTEF Energy Research (Norway), DNV (Norway), TNO (Netherlands), Port of Rotterdam NV (Netherlands) and SANERI (South Africa).

Cocate is a three-year project and has a budget of Euro 4.5 million and nearly 3 million Euro is contributed by the European Commision.

Download IFP’s press release

Accoat’s part in the research
Accoat come into the equation in the transport phase of the process because further research is required in this area.

Accoat’s first task will be to map the mechanisms and circumstances under which CO2 corrodes pipes and the risks that would arise from such corrosion.

Accoats’s projects role thus encompasses safety optimisation and corrosion prevention. A role which entails significant responsibility given the fact that internal pipe surface treatments are crucial to protection pipeline from CO2 corrosion and thus providing secure CO2 transport to the benefits of all Europeans.