World’s largest bioethanol CCS plant opens in US

THE WORLD’S largest bioethanol carbon capture and storage project has begun operation in Nebraska, US, and is set to transport more than 10m t/y of CO2.

Food processing company ADM is working with energy company Tallgrass to transport CO2 from its Nebraska Corn Processing Complex in Columbus to Tallgrass’s Sequestration Hub in Eastern Wyoming.

The project will use Tallgrass’s 640 km “Trailblazer” pipeline, formerly a natural gas transmission line and now converted into a dedicated CO2 pipeline.

Chris Cuddy, ADM’s North American president, said: “CCS is an important part of our strategy to decarbonise our operations and help meet global demand for low-carbon ingredients and we are proud to work with Tallgrass to find innovative solutions at facilities like Columbus.

“This is an exciting project for the industry and for the future of CCS technology.”

ADM's sustainability plans

To date, ADM says it has captured and stored more than 3.9m t of CO2 – and is looking to expand its capacity further.

The company is also working with renewable energy company Gevo to develop 3.4m L/y of ethanol from its various plants, including the Nebraska plant, into around 1.8m L/y of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

By 2035, ADM aims to rapidly decarbonise across its supply chain, targeting a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions.

CO2 pipeline

Tallgrass’s new CO2 pipeline is already in operation and runs through Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska.

The US$1.5bn line received its first shipment of CO2 from Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland in early October.

Biofuels producer Poet also connected its bioprocessing facility in Fairmount, Nebraska to the line, where it will capture CO2 from its biogenic waste streams.

Beyond bioethanol and biofuels, Tallgrass has been awarded funding by the US Department of Energy to design a commercial-scale carbon capture for a hydrogen-producing facility using autothermal reforming technology.