Inside the Race to Build the U.S. CO₂ Highway System

Tallgrass and CF ExxonMobil start CO₂ transport in 2025, marking a new phase in US carbon infrastructure

8 Oct 2025

America’s push to curb carbon emissions is moving from policy papers to pipelines. Once a quiet corner of energy engineering, carbon dioxide transport is fast becoming the backbone of the nation’s clean energy ambitions.

On October 3, 2025, Tallgrass sent its first shipment of captured CO₂ through the newly repurposed Trailblazer pipeline. The 392-mile route, once a natural gas corridor, now carries emissions from MAAPW’s ethanol plant in Madrid, Nebraska, to a sequestration hub in Wyoming. Approved by federal regulators in 2023, the system has entered commercial service after two years of conversion work.

Meanwhile, in Louisiana, CF Industries and ExxonMobil have begun operating a CO₂ dehydration and compression facility at CF’s Donaldsonville complex. The project can handle up to 2 million metric tons of carbon a year. ExxonMobil is initially using enhanced oil recovery to store the gas, with plans to move to permanent sequestration once permits are in place.

Together, these launches signal a shift in strategy. Instead of each company building its own pipelines, alliances are forming to share infrastructure, cut costs, and accelerate industrial decarbonization. Shared networks promise efficiency and perhaps faster progress toward climate goals.

Still, the path is far from clear. Regulators are tightening oversight of leak detection and real-time monitoring, while communities along proposed routes voice concerns about safety and land use. Rising capital costs and inconsistent policy support also threaten momentum.

Even so, optimism persists. Analysts say that if financing, regulation, and technology align, the U.S. could run one of the world’s most advanced CO₂ transport systems by 2030.

For now, 2025 stands as a milestone year: the moment carbon pipelines moved from niche experiment to national infrastructure.