CO₂ by Rail

Enabling Cross-Border Carbon Removal at Scale: A New Nordic CO₂ Corridor

Germany and Sweden have large volumes of biogenic and industrial CO₂.

Denmark has some of Europe’s largest storage potential.

DecarbonICE connects Emitters with Storage sites.

By transporting solid CO₂ (dry ice) in standard 20-foot containers by train, we enable:

  • Large-scale CO₂ import into Denmark

  • Cost-efficient long-distance transport

  • Safe and flexible cross-border logistics

  • Rapid scaling without pipeline infrastructure

Rail + solid CO₂ is the missing link in a European CO₂ network.

Why Rail for CO₂?

Rail is ideal for medium- and long-distance transport.

Compared to road:

  • Lower cost per ton at distance

  • Lower emissions per ton transported

  • Fewer bottlenecks

  • Higher volume per shipment

  • Reduced traffic impact

For import from Germany, Sweden to Denmark, rail becomes the natural backbone of CO₂ logistics.

Solid CO₂ Changes the Game

Flexible: Standard intermodal infrastructure

Efficient: 20” insulated deacrbonICE containers

Safe: Atmospheric pressure operation

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Traditional liquid CO₂ transport by rail requires:

  • Pressurised tank wagons

  • Specialised terminals

  • Heavy infrastructure

  • Large minimum volumes

DecarbonICE uses:

  • Standard intermodal container train wagons

  • Modified 20” insulated containers

  • Atmospheric pressure operation

  • Simple and fast loading/unloading

This makes the system:

  • Modular

  • Flexible

  • Scalable

  • Compatible with existing rail freight networks

No need for a dedicated CO₂ rail tank fleet.

Solid CO₂ in DecarbonICE containers can move seamlessly:

Biogas plant → Truck → Rail terminal → Train → Port → Storage hub

01
No repumping

02
No pressure transfer

03
No intermediate tanks

Reduces
Handling losses

Reduces
Complexity

Reduces
Risk

Strategic Opportunity: Germany & Sweden → Denmark

Germany

  • Large biogas sector

  • Strong industrial base

  • Limited domestic CO₂ storage options

  • High carbon prices

Denmark offers:

  • Offshore storage (Greensand, Bifrost)

  • Established CO₂ hub development

  • Political alignment on CCS

Rail corridors already exist between Northern Germany and Jutland.

Sweden

  • Significant biogenic CO₂ from pulp & paper

  • National carbon removal ambitions

  • Limited offshore storage

Direct rail-to-port transport into Denmark is a scalable pathway for Swedish BECCS projects.

The numbers: Why Rail + Solid Wins

Lower CAPEX vs Liquid Rail Tanks

1

No need for specialised pressurised tank wagons.

Lower Infrastructure Requirements

2

Standard container terminals can be used.

Flexible Volume Scaling

3

Start small (a few containers per week). Scale to full train blocks (30–40 containers).

One train can carry 500–800+ tons of CO₂ depending on configuration.

Competitive €/t at Distance

4

Rail cost per ton decreases significantly as distance increases.

The longer the route, the stronger the business case.

Safety Advantage

Solid CO₂ transport operates at near atmospheric pressure.

Compared to liquid pressurised systems:

  • Lower accident severity risk

  • No high-pressure rupture scenarios

  • Simpler emergency management

  • Improved public acceptance

This is particularly important in cross-border transport.

Climate Advantage

Rail emits significantly less CO₂ per ton-km than road transport.

Combining:

  • Biogenic CO₂ capture

  • Low-emission rail transport

  • Permanent offshore storage

Creates one of the lowest-carbon removal chains in Europe.

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Enabling a European CO₂ Market

The EU is moving toward:

  • Cross-border carbon transport frameworks

  • CO₂ infrastructure regulation

  • Inclusion of removals in ETS

  • Growing voluntary demand

Rail-based containerised CO₂ transport enables:

  • Fast market activation

  • No waiting for pipelines

  • Lower barrier for first movers

  • Regional CO₂ hubs

It supports the creation of a Nordic-German CO₂ corridor.