Summit Carbon Revises Carbon Capture Pipeline Proposal

Summit Carbon Revises Carbon Capture Pipeline Proposal
SCS is now proposing to reroute the pipeline after concerns from communities.
Image by Jonathan Nafzger via iStock

Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS) has submitted a Petition for Reconsideration for its pipeline permit application to the North Dakota Public Service Commission (ND PSC) concerning its carbon capture project across five states, the company said in a recent press release.

SCS is partnering with more than 30 ethanol plants across Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska for a project capturing carbon dioxide from the fermentation process of biorefineries such as ethanol plants. SCS plans to compress the captured carbon dioxide and channel it to North Dakota, where it will be permanently and safely stored underground in deep geologic storage locations, according to a project description on the company’s website.

SCS filed an application in October 2022 to construct a carbon dioxide pipeline of approximately 320 miles in North Dakota. The proposed route of the pipeline would cross through parts of Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Logan, McIntosh, Morton, Oliver, Richland, and Sargent counties. Earlier in the month, the ND PSC denied siting permission for the project, according to a news release from the commission.

In SCS’s petition, the company said it addressed previously raised concerns. SCS is now proposing to reroute the pipeline almost 10 miles north of Bismarck City limits and avoid “areas of concern, including game management areas and areas that may present a geo-hazard risk such as a landslide”. The company said it is also working with the State Historic Preservation Office to document the results of cultural surveys and that it is “confident no historic or archeological sites will be affected” by the project, adding that it had completed cultural surveys on approximately 90 percent of the pipeline route.

SCS said it has secured nearly 80 percent of right-of-way permissions through voluntary easements from local landowners, including parts of the new pipeline route. The company has also secured almost 90 percent of the space needed for its carbon sequestration sites in North Dakota, according to the SCS news release.

“We’re truly grateful for the trust and support shown by the landowners of North Dakota, allowing us to make substantial progress in our pipeline route and sequestration site plans”, SCS CEO Lee Blank said. “Addressing the concerns of the ND PSC is a top priority for us, and we’ve worked diligently to revise our application accordingly. Our aim is to work collaboratively, listen to everyone’s input, and align our project with the long-term vision that North Dakota has for its energy and agricultural sectors. We are confident that our efforts will contribute positively to North Dakota’s future, and we’re excited to be part of this journey.”

According to the PSC release, landowners and intervenors testified that the project would cause adverse effects on the value of their property and residential development projects. The US Geological Survey also noted 14 areas of potential geological instability within the project corridor, the release said.

In Iowa, SCS is seeking a permit from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to construct, operate and maintain a hazardous liquid pipeline measuring 687 miles with a diameter of six to 24 inches for the transportation of liquefied carbon dioxide through 29 counties. SCS is requesting the right of eminent domain over approximately 973 parcels on the proposed pipeline route. The hearing for the petition started Tuesday, according to the IUB website.

Iowa residents living along the route of the proposed pipeline told IUB they were worried about possible ruptures and land takings at the start of a hearing, according to a Reuters report. SCS has secured agreements from nearly 75 percent of residents along the Iowa route, accounting for 499 miles, and is working to sign on the 480 remaining landowners, the report cited SCS as saying.

To contact the author, email rteodoro.editor@outlook.com


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