CALGARY, Alberta (March 7, 2024) — Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR), a subsidiary of Enverus, the leading energy-dedicated SaaS company, has released a report examining emissions from Midwest ethanol facilities left without a connection to carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) projects after Navigator CO2’s Heartland Greenway pipeline was canceled, and Summit Carbon Solutions’ chance to add these ethanol plants to its planned CO2 pipeline route. EIR also evaluates the options available for Navigator’s 11 planned Class VI injection wells in central Illinois that are now cut off from their intended CO2 source following the pipeline cancellation.
“The cancellation of Navigator CO2’s pipeline left dozens of ethanol facilities planning to capture and store CO2 without transportation, but also presents an opportunity for Summit Carbon Solutions to expand its project network,” said Brad Johnston, senior geology associate at EIR. “The pipeline cancellation also adds uncertainty to the 11 Class VI permits in central Illinois intending to connect to the Navigator system, leaving them with very few economic sources of capturable CO2 nearby.”
Key takeaways:
- The cancellation of Navigator CO2’s Heartland Greenway CO2 pipeline in the U.S. Midwest left almost 9 mtpa of ethanol-related CO2 emissions without a secured CCUS transportation route. Valero Energy, Poet and Big River Resources are the largest emitters of CO2 from ethanol facilities within 10 miles of the scrapped pipeline.
- The pipeline abandonment allowed Summit Carbon Solutions to pick up Poet’s CO2 emissions previously contracted to Navigator. Other ethanol facilities within Navigator’s corridor could also land in Summit’s hands.
- Navigator’s exit leaves its Class VI applications stranded from their intended CO2 sources. The injection wells, now undergoing EPA review, will need to find other nearby sources of CO2 emissions.
- Hurdles remain for Summit to succeed in building its sprawling CO2 pipeline network. It will have to navigate undefined and uncertain state- and county-level policies across multiple states and await changes related to forthcoming federal CO2 pipeline safety requirements.
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EIR’s analysis pulls from a variety of Enverus products including Enverus ESG® Analytics and Enverus Infrastructure.
About Enverus Intelligence Research
Enverus Intelligence ® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations and macro-economic forecasts; and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies and capital providers worldwide. Enverus is the most trusted, energy-dedicated SaaS platform, offering real-time access to analytics, insights and benchmark cost and revenue data sourced from our partnerships to 98% of U.S. energy producers, and more than 35,000 suppliers. Learn more at Enverus.com.
