Happy Friday! Welcome back to another week of the Carbon Corner!

Thanks for joining us to catch up on the latest CCUS projects!

Technip Energies, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, and Zachry Group Awarded FEED Contract for Calpine's CCUS Project in Texas

Technip Energies, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, and Zachry Group have been awarded a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract for a carbon capture unit located in South East Texas. The new project is expected to capture two million tonnes annually, which is 95% of the total emissions released from Calpine's Baytown Energy Center and a nearby combined cycle power plant.

The main focus of Technip Energies and Shell Catalysts & Technologies will be to collaborate on the marketing, licensing, and execution of the project. Zachry Group will provide outside battery limits engineering, which will assist in the contribution of utility systems, loading and off-loading facilities, operation and maintenance buildings, and site preparation.

Caleb Stephenson, EVP of Commercial Operations at Calpine, commented, "Our Baytown project is an important part of our far-reaching efforts to showcase the full potential of CCS as a critical emissions-reduction technology, and we are eager to continue with its development."

GLE Commenced Engineering on a Major CCUS Project at Marquis Industrial Complex

Gas Liquid Engineering Ltd. announced the start of engineering for a significant carbon capture and sequestration project at the Marquis Industrial Complex in Illinois. The Complex houses the company's largest dry-grind ethanol plant in the world. The project plans to capture the plant's carbon, then compress, dehydrate, and inject it underground for storage on site.

The project will enable 1,200,000 tons/year of CO2 to be sequestered annually, making it the state's largest operational Bio-Energy Carbon Capture and Storage project.

Jason Marquis, COO of Marquis Inc., said, "Working with our community, we are building a sustainable world for future generations. This is an important step to decarbonize our bioproducts of feed, fuel, and chemicals."

Battelle, Climeworks, Heirloom Carbon, and Gulf Coast Sequestration Apply for DOE Funding

Battelle, Climeworks, Heirloom Carbon, and Gulf Coast Sequestration have collectively submitted a Department of Energy (DOE) funding proposal for their Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub Program. For this project, Battelle will serve as the project manager, working closely with the technology providers Climeworks and Heirloom Carbon on the design and implementation of systems. Once the carbon is captured, Gulf Coast Sequestration will permanently store it underground.

The Project Cypress DAC Hub will further promote a greener environment and create many jobs in the southwest Louisiana area. The project has already fostered collaboration across the community, ranging from business groups and housing advocates to job training teams and new energy advocates. Ultimately, the project coordinators want to ensure the community is heavily involved, aware of the economic benefits, and supportive of creating the maximum benefit for all parties.

Battelle Energy and Resilience Division Manager Shawn Bennett said, “This is the kind of project we’ve been working towards for decades and fits with our overall climate focus. Direct Air Capture technology is an important bridge to a future that greatly reduces the amount of legacy carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. But in addition to that, Project Cypress will be developed to the benefit of the local community, maximizing local job opportunities for the energy transition.’’

Emissions Reduction through Funding for Methane Migration Projects

Last week we discussed government funding for carbon capture. The energy sector's financial efforts to reduce emissions across the board only continue as this week, The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), and DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) announced their funding plans to invest $47 million towards 22 methane-regulating projects. As directly stated by NETL, "The selected projects will advance cutting-edge technologies under five areas:

• Mitigating Methane Emissions from Upstream/Midstream Sources – Six projects will address mitigating methane emissions from engines and machinery used in the extraction and production of natural gas and oil to advance the development of cleaner fuels for the industry.
• Surface-based Methane Monitoring and Measurement Networks – Two projects will gather and compile surface-based methane emissions data and appropriate wind speed and direction measurements to effectively characterize methane sources and emission rates across a broad area that includes multiple operators of oil and gas production facilities.
• Basin-Specific Needs to Mitigate Methane Emissions – Across the United States, oil- and gas-producing basins have characteristics that require unique approaches to resource production, transportation, and storage. Five projects will demonstrate methods to measure and quantify methane emissions along the natural gas supply chain focusing on basin-specific requirements.
• Integrated Methane Monitoring Platform Design – Seven projects will aim to develop integrated methane monitoring platforms to continually collect and analyze methane emissions data across the natural gas supply chain to characterize methane emissions from chronic and super-emitters and inform near real-time mitigation decisions.
• Investigating Emissions from Storage Tanks – Two projects will work to identify the primary sources of methane emissions from storage tanks and their associated equipment across the oil and natural gas value chain and evaluate monitoring technologies."

Although not the same as carbon capture, these efforts will go towards the common goal of further reducing greenhouse emissions.

Efforts by Louisiana Legislator to Remove Eminent Domain Rights Related to Carbon Capture Pipelines

Louisiana legislator Rep. Robby Carter, D-Amite, has pre-filed a bill for the upcoming 2023 legislative session promoting removing eminent domain rights for private companies. These rights, granted 14 years ago, allow companies to seize private properties to lay pipelines. Carter believes the issue is not solely property rights but also the effect of storing carbon. He has mentioned concern for groundwater and earthquakes specifically.

The state currently has dozens of projects proposed, which could be widely affected if the bill is passed. The main focus areas are East Feliciana, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa parishes.

While there are plenty of supporters in Carter's corner, others like Mike Moncla, president of the industry-backed Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, say the proposal is unnecessary and could hamper future carbon capture efforts in the state.

We hope you enjoyed reading this week!

Schaper Energy Consulting is a professional engineering firm offering carbon strategy services to CCS site developers. Check out some examples of our projects here: https://schaperintl.com/carbon-strategies/

If you have questions or comments, please contact us at info@schaperintl.com.

qaUnsubscribe