Congratulations to firm client Minnkota on their $350 million DOE grant, the maximum amount awarded, to build one of the world’s largest CO2 capture projects. We are honored to have supported Minnkota through the funding process and look forward to continuing to partner with pioneering clients such as Minnkota who are leading the way to advance U.S. decarbonization.
On December 14, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $350 million in federal funding, the maximum awarded grant, for CURC member Minnkota’s Project Tundra, an innovative carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) project in North Dakota that when fully operational, will be one of the world’s largest CO2 capture projects on a coal-fired power generating facility. Located adjacent to the Milton R. Young Power Station in Center, North Dakota, the project will capture and permanently store 4 million metric tons of CO2 annually and will serve as an example of how CO2 capture can be an effective tool to reduce growing global emissions from coal-fired generation. Minnkota’s Project Tundra is one of just three projects selected to demonstrate this important technology.
This program is a byproduct of recommendations to Congress and DOE from the CURC-EPRI 2018 CCS Technology Roadmap that CURC successfully advocated to be included in the 2020 Energy Act which was subsequently funded through the IIJA.
"In securing this federal funding for Project Tundra, we have not only gained crucial financial support but also generated positive momentum that will propel us forward in our development efforts,” said Mac McLennan, Minnkota President and CEO. “Collaboration and support are critical in advancing innovative energy technologies. The announcement of this award reinforces that the future for Project Tundra is bright and that carbon capture and storage will play an important role in shaping the energy landscape of tomorrow.”
“This DOE program will play a critical role in advancing innovative CO2 capture technologies across the U.S.,” said Shannon Angielski, Executive Director of CURC. “These demonstration projects will provide a blueprint for how to scale CCS in order to decarbonize our economy and position the U.S. to be a global leader in developing and exporting CCS technology. CURC is honored to play a pivotal role in getting the program funded so projects like Tundra can get underway.”
In February, DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $1.7 billion for integrated CCS projects that demonstrate substantial improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, cost, and environmental performance for power and industrial applications. Cooperative agreements provide up to a 50% federal cost share for commercial-scale, integrated CCS demonstration projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s (BIL) Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program. This program is a byproduct of recommendations to Congress and DOE from the CURC-EPRI 2018 CCS Technology Roadmap that CURC successfully advocated to be included in the 2020 Energy Act which was subsequently funded through the IIJA.
The Carbon Utilization Research Council, led by Van Ness Feldman, is an industry coalition focused on technology solutions for the responsible use of our fossil energy resources. Members include power generators that rely upon diverse sources for their electricity production, equipment manufacturers, technology innovators, labor unions, NGOs, and more. For additional information on CURC please visit https://curc.net.