ADM signs CO2 pipeline deal to capture, store ethanol plant emissions

The Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

CHICAGO, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM.N) said Tuesday it had signed a letter of intent with Wolf Carbon Solutions to build a pipeline that would capture and transport carbon dioxide produced at ADM’s ethanol facilities at Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The pipeline is the latest move by agriculture and energy companies to reduce emissions of planet-warming carbon and would test carbon capture technology, a potentially powerful tool to fight climate change that is relatively new and unproven.

ADM said the 350-mile steel pipeline, capable of transporting 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, would support its decarbonization goals.

The pipeline will be built, owned and operated by Wolf Carbon Solutions and the project does not require any capital investment from ADM, said ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson.

Rather than being released into the atmosphere, the carbon would be stored underground at a sequestration site in Decatur, Illinois, where ADM has been burying emissions for more than a decade. Two ADM-led projects have stored around 3.5 million tonnes to date.

Capturing and storing carbon generated by its grain and oilseed processing facilities allows ADM to offer lower-carbon ingredients to its customers, many of whom have committed to reducing their own supply-chain emissions.

The pipeline would also have spare capacity to serve ADM customers looking to decarbonize.

“This is an exciting opportunity for ADM to connect some of our largest processing facilities with our carbon capture capabilities,” Chris Cuddy, president, Carbohydrate Solutions for ADM, said in a statement.

Another company, Summit Carbon Solutions has faced opposition from farmers over plans to build a 2,000-mile, $4.5 billion carbon pipeline in the Midwest due to concerns about land usage and potential crop damage. read more

Underground geological formations in the United States have the potential to store 2.6 trillion tons of planet-warming CO2, enough to cover all of America’s historical emissions and those to come for centuries, according to the Department of Energy.

Reporting by Karl Plume and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Grant McCool

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