Published by Todd Bush on July 2, 2025
DNV is advancing Skylark, a joint industry project to enhance our understanding of carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipeline operations ensuring regulators and operators globally have access to the highest quality of information to make their decisions.
Developed in collaboration with the UK Health and Safety Executive Science Division (HSE SD), University of Arkansas, Ricardo’s UK National Chemical Emergency Centre, National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), this three-year initiative comes as carbon capture and storage (CCS) networks must expand dramatically to meet climate goals.
Early engagement has been strong, including a well-attended 2024 workshop at DNV’s Spadeadam facility, which showcased prototype testing equipment and preliminary dispersion models.
>> In Other News: Canada’s Rising Role in the Global CDR Landscape
The project aligns with DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook 2024 report, which forecasts that CO₂ pipelines will need to grow from 9,500 km today to over 200,000 km by 2050 to support industrial decarbonization. Skylark will provide essential safety insights through advanced modeling, real-world testing, and emergency response analysis to enable this expansion.
A key focus is understanding CO₂ behaviour during pipeline incidents, including dispersion patterns under different terrain and weather conditions. Large-scale experiments at DNV’s Spadeadam Research and Testing Centre will study crater formation and dispersion, while wind tunnel testing at the University of Arkansas will complement field studies. Emergency response protocols will also be tested in real-world scenarios with first responders. These insights will help operators enhance safety measures and regulators strengthen frameworks as CCS deployment accelerates.
Hari Vamadevan, Senior Vice President and Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Energy Systems at DNV, explained: "Skylark addresses one of the biggest barriers to CCS adoption—confidence in safe operations at scale. By combining decades of pipeline expertise with new technologies, we’re helping build the infrastructure needed to meet net-zero targets."
The project tackles four fundamental challenges: analyzing pipeline failure impacts on crater formation and CO₂ dispersion; studying how terrain affects dense vapour clouds; validating emergency response protocols; and establishing safe venting procedures for routine operations.
Over its three-year duration, Skylark will validate CO₂ dispersion models for varied terrain, develop emergency response best practices, and inform safety guidelines for pipeline routing, risk assessment and venting.
The initiative has already attracted significant industry interest, with nine organizations participating in the project. Vamadevan added: "With major experiments beginning in 2025, we invite additional industry partners to join this collaborative effort. The findings will directly inform DNV’s CCS Safety Guidelines and help operators worldwide deploy pipelines with confidence."
Paul Monks, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said: "CCUS will be a critical tool in delivering on our Net Zero commitments, and decarbonisation globally. A robust regulatory framework to ensure the safe deployment of this technology across the world is paramount. Initiatives like Skylark, bringing together the best expertise to test our assumptions and deploy real-world scenarios with first responders will be a vital tool in ensuring the success of this technology and therefore in meeting our climate goals."
The Skylark JIP is still open to participation; companies interested in participating can contact Daniel Allason, DNV.
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Inside This Issue 💰 Gevo Transforms Carbon Waste Into Market Gold 🛫 CADO and 4AIR Harmonize SAF Registries for Commercial and Business Aviation 🌊 Vortex Energy Receives Government Approval for Amb...
Inside This Issue 🌎 US Carbon Capture Race: $77B Industry Shifts Global Balance 🛠️ NETL Releases Tool To Calculate Costs of Geologic Carbon Storage Projects in the Gulf of America ✈️ Avia Solution...
Inside This Issue 💰 BlackRock’s €1 Billion Bet on Eni Fuels Carbon Capture Confidence 💧 Wastewater Contaminants Boost Green Hydrogen Production 🌾 Gevo Sells Carbon Credits from North Dakota Asset ...
CADO and 4AIR Harmonize SAF Registries for Commercial and Business Aviation
MONTREAL /PRNewswire/ -- The Civil Aviation Decarbonization Organization (CADO) and 4AIR announced a strategic collaboration between their respective Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) registries. The...
Gold Standard Launches Framework for High-Integrity Engineered Carbon Removals
New Engineered Removals Requirements set rigorous standards for carbon removal certification Updated methodologies now cover mineral waste, BECCS, and fermentation-based CDR All projects must cont...
DENVER--BKV Corporation (“BKV” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BKV) today announced the execution of an agreement with a leading diversified midstream energy company to develop a new carbon capture and se...
For the widespread deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) to succeed, emitters, financiers and project developers continue to be challenged to make viable investment decisions...
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.