Inside the Digital Makeover of U.S. Carbon Pipelines

Energy firms test real-time modeling to boost carbon pipeline safety and efficiency

15 Oct 2025

America’s growing carbon pipeline network is being upgraded not with new metal, but with new code. Energy firms are testing digital “twins”, real-time models that mirror physical pipelines to spot leaks, predict failures, and improve safety. What began as pilot projects is now edging into standard practice for carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Regulators are taking note. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed rules encouraging operators to adopt data-driven monitoring. Firms such as Tallgrass and Denbury are already doing so, marrying technology pilots with network expansions. Together, policy and innovation may mark a turning point in how carbon is transported underground.

“Digital modeling is shifting from concept to practice; it is becoming a foundational tool for modern pipeline safety,” says a senior analyst at DNV, whose new transient modeling platform for CO₂ systems simulates real-world conditions to detect leaks faster. The approach functions like a digital twin, continuously comparing expected and actual performance.

Tallgrass recently ran its first CO₂ flow through the Trailblazer pipeline while using advanced sensors and analytics. The company’s experience, analysts say, shows that digital oversight complements conventional safety checks rather than replacing them.

Beyond safety, the gains are economic. Automated monitoring reduces manual inspections, trims maintenance costs, and helps meet tighter reporting rules. But the technology’s promise is fragile. “Digital systems are only as good as the sensors and networks behind them,” warns one industry strategist, noting the risks of poor data and weak cybersecurity.

As America expands its carbon transport grid, each new pipeline may come with a digital shadow, a continuous, data-fed simulation ensuring the real thing stays sound. Full-scale digital twins are still some way off, but their early use suggests that the future of carbon pipelines will depend as much on algorithms as on steel.