Transformation of China's petroleum pipeline industry in the renewable energy era: A review

Driven by stringent climate policies, China's oil and gas industry is undergoing the systemic green transition. This paper evaluates the opportunities and challenges facing China's petroleum pipeline infrastructure, which currently contents with declining load rates due to renewable energy substitution. While government incentives, substantial transportation demand and technological advancements provide significant momentum for decarbonization, the establishment of the China Oil & Gas Piping Network Corporation further facilitates third-party access, enhancing the prospects for long-distance renewable energy transport. Despite preliminary research into the techno-economic feasibility of repurposing petroleum pipelines, several critical challenges remain, including system adaptability, capacity allocation policies, and competition from alternative transport modes. To address these barriers, this study proposes four key policy implications: (i) investigating system adaptation for the co-transportation of fossil and clean fuels; (ii) accelerating market-oriented pipeline reforms; (iii) aligning renewable energy planning with existing transportation infrastructure; and (iv) establishing an integrated information-sharing system for energy logistics. These measures aim to accelerate its green transition and also strengthen the diversity in energy market. • Highlight the operational issues of petroleum pipelines in renewable energy era. • Introduce the opportunities for green transition facing China's petroleum pipelines. • Analyze the challenges of transporting renewable energy by petroleum pipelines. • Provide policy implications to accelerate the green transition.