One important problem facing the energy sector, especially large power stations utilizing fossil fuels, is the reduction of CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere. To ensure successful reduction, it is necessary to sequester carbon dioxide and then perform an appropriate pre-treatment to make the CO₂'s thermodynamic parameters comply with transportation and storage requirements. This paper presents a system analysis of the process of carbon dioxide pre-treatment, which is realised by a pressurisation unit equipped with intercoolers, taking into account the destination's parameters for compressed CO₂ of about 12 MPa and 25°C. The carbon dioxide stream wherein compression was analysed was derived from exhaust gas generated from hard coal air-combustion in a supercritical, 900 MWe power plant boiler, integrated with a VPSA vacuum pressure swing adsorption separation unit. The carbon dioxide stream under study, separated from the flu gas at a rate of 200 kg/s at 60°C and 0.005 MPa, was then directed to a multistage compression unit equipped with intercoolers. The main aim of the calculations performed was the minimisation of energy demand for com¬pression. To achieve this, many configurations of compression units consisting of differing numbers of compression groups of stages where analysed. Moreover, a full optimisation procedure of pressure ratios (accounting for destination pressure after each group of stages) was performed for each compression unit configuration. The results showed that the energy demand for compression decreases with increasing size of the compression unit; however, the greater the number of groups of stages the less the decrease in the energy demand. It was also observed that as the compression unit grows, the CO₂ temperatures after each group of stages decrease, which may restrict the potential recuperation of heat from the intercooling system into the thermal cycle of the power plant. The results also showed that in the case of compression of carbon dioxide separated by the VPSA from a 900 MWe supercritical power plant, the most favourable (from the point of view of minimising energy demand and the potential for heat recuperation) configurations of compression units are those consisting of 5 or 6 groups of stages. The results presented in this paper were obtained from research work co-financed by the National Centre of Research and Development in the framework of Contract SP/E/1/67484/10 - Strategic Research Programme - Advanced technologies for energy generation: Development of a technology for highly efficient zero-emission coal-fired power units integrated with CO₂ capture.