By Scout Nelson
Summit Carbon Solutions' $8 billion pipeline aims to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in South Dakota, storing it underground to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Summit Carbon Solutions is proposing an $8 billion carbon dioxide pipeline through eastern South Dakota, aiming to reduce emissions from ethanol plants by capturing and storing CO2 underground in North Dakota.
According to the company, this project has the capacity to prevent the release of 18 million metric tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to removing 4 million vehicles from the road.
However, while the pipeline will capture CO2 from corn fermentation during ethanol production, it will not capture emissions from gas-powered industrial equipment, which still accounts for approximately 7 million metric tons of CO2 annually.
According to Daniel Sanchez, an assistant professor at the University of California-Berkeley, capturing emissions from industrial equipment is more challenging and costly.
Summit has partnered with 57 ethanol plants, including those owned by Poet and Valero, to capture and store fermentation-related CO2 emissions. The project is part of a broader effort to take advantage of federal tax credits incentivizing greenhouse gas reductions. While ethanol plants can still emit substantial amounts of CO2, capturing fermentation emissions could result in significant environmental benefits.
Summit estimates a typical 100-million-gallon ethanol plant produces about 286,000 metric tons of fermentation CO2, though some experts believe the number is closer to 90,000 metric tons. The pipeline could capture between 5 and 16 million metric tons of CO2 annually, depending on the efficiency of the ethanol plants
Sanchez notes that, despite the pipeline’s large scope, it represents only a small fraction of total U.S. emissions. However, the project could help ethanol plants move toward net-negative emissions, especially if sustainable practices like renewable natural gas and renewable electricity are adopted.
South Dakota is already experimenting with renewable natural gas, such as methane from livestock manure, which could further reduce emissions from ethanol production.
The pipeline project has yet to receive regulatory approval in South Dakota, but it is seen as a potential step toward reducing greenhouse gases and addressing climate change in the region.
Photo Credit: shutterstock-dickgage
Categories: South Dakota, Energy, Weather