Pipeline company, ethanol plant plan carbon capture pipeline in Nebraska Panhandle

Carbon America and Bridgeport Ethanol within the Nebraska Panhandle have introduced plans to develop a carbon seize pipeline that will see the primary carbon dioxide sequestered inside the state.

Carbon America’s pipeline mission joins different deliberate carbon seize pipelines, together with ones by Navigator CO2 and Summit Carbon Options. In distinction with these multistate pipelines that may carry carbon dioxide from a number of biorefineries, the Bridgeport pipeline will span solely about 10 miles and serve solely Bridgeport Ethanol, mentioned Carbon America CEO and co-founder Brent Lewis.

Carbon America, which is predicated within the Denver space, and Bridgeport Ethanol hope to have the pipeline operational in 2024.

One of many driving forces behind the planning of carbon seize pipelines is the provision of a federal tax credit score to biorefineries that take part in carbon seize and storage. The Inflation Discount Act will increase that tax credit score from $50 to $85 per metric ton, information outlet Time reported. Carbon seize supporters additionally mentioned the method might open up new markets for taking part producers.

Critics of carbon seize pipelines have argued, amongst different issues, that the pipelines present little, if any, environmental profit, significantly because it pertains to local weather change and that pipelines truly carry environmental dangers within the occasion of a malfunction.

No particular website to comprise the captured carbon dioxide has been chosen but, Lewis mentioned. However he mentioned the corporate is taking a look at websites that will enable the corporate to sequester the carbon dioxide effectively under 3,000 ft underground.

Lewis additionally mentioned that Carbon America is taking a look at websites the place the sequestered carbon dioxide wouldn’t contaminate an space’s water provide.

“We need to make it possible for, wherever we’re going to be injecting CO2, we’re distant from something that could possibly be coming near underground sources of consuming water,” he mentioned.

The corporate shouldn’t be disclosing the mission value, a spokesperson mentioned, including that the pipeline shouldn’t be receiving any monetary incentives from the State of Nebraska.

“There’s nonetheless numerous growth to be carried out, and we’ll see how that goes,” mentioned Trevor Morgan, basic supervisor of Bridgeport Ethanol. “However these are thrilling occasions.”

As soon as the pipeline is operational, Carbon America mentioned the pipeline will seize 95% of Bridgeport Ethanol’s emissions at 175,000 tons yearly. That annual quantity is equal to taking 38,043 passenger autos off the highway.

Lewis mentioned Carbon America views carbon seize and sequestration as “a really, essential a part of the whole vitality transition that we’re going by means of” away from fossil fuels.

“We’re huge local weather believers,” he mentioned. “We subscribe to the truth that we’ve bought to do all the things we are able to to deal with local weather change. We consider CCS (carbon seize and sequestration) is a bridge to get us to a time and a spot the place can actually take away fossil (fuels) from most of our purposes for vitality use. However in the intervening time, we’ve bought to bridge this hole.”

Carbon America is also partnering with two of Bridgeport Ethanol’s sister vegetation in northeast Colorado to seize and sequester carbon dioxide.