Updates on Global Carbon Capture Facility Developments

Data centers × Carbon Capture: real projects to watch in the USA and Italy As AI power demand surges, some operators are pairing gas generation + CCS (or H₂ + CCS) to deliver reliable power while reducing emissions. A few concrete, site-specific examples from two regions (USA and Italy) are below: 🇺🇸 Broadwing Energy Center (Decatur, IL) Power/CCS: ~400+ MW NG cogeneration with >90% CO₂ capture; on-site Class VI storage via Archer Daniels Midland's Mt. Simon wells. Google signed a long-term offtake; Kiewit named EPC; Mitsubishi Power M501JAC prime mover. COD target: 2030 (FID aimed Q2 2026). 🇺🇸 Meta (Richland Parish, LA) Power/CCS: 3 × CCGT (~2.26 GW) approved; designed CCS-ready with company statements pointing to sequestration offsetting ~60% of new gas emissions. Timeline: Richland units 2028, Waterford unit 2029. (~1.9 MtCO₂/yr is a rough estimate based on standard emission factors) 🇺🇸 Texas Critical Data Centers (TCDC) (Ector County, TX) Power/CCS: Behind-the-meter NG campus (90–250 MW initial, scalable to ≥1 GW) with planned CCUS and 45Q. Land closed (235 acres) + LOI (203 acres); Phase-Two engineering and air permitting underway. JV between Sharon AI and New Era Energy 🇺🇸 Crusoe + Tallgrass (Southeast WY, Cheyenne area) Power/CCS: 1.8 GW gas for an AI campus (designed to scale to 10 GW). Tallgrass to transport & store CO₂ at its WY hub (Lyons Sandstone). 🇺🇸 ARCH2 / Fidelis “Mountaineer” (Mason County, WV) Power/CCS: Net-zero H₂ (with CCUS) to feed the Monarch Cloud Campus (up to 1 GW IT), with a multi-phase plan targeting ~10 MtCO₂/yr storage at full build-out. 🇮🇹 Ferrera Erbognone (Eni “Blue Power”) (Pavia, IT) Power/CCS: New CCGT + post-combustion capture to serve up to 500 MW IT; CO₂ to Ravenna CCS (hub already operating at smaller scale). 🇮🇹 Khazna + ENI (500 MW AI campus near Milan) Power/CCS: Campus to be fed by ENI “Blue Power” (new CCGT designed to capture CO₂), with storage at Ravenna CCS. HoT signed July 2025. 🇺🇸 ExxonMobil (U.S. Gulf Coast) Power/CCS: >1.5 GW NGCC dedicated to data centers, >90% capture with CO₂ into Exxon’s Gulf Coast CCS network (pipeline + storage). Why it matters (quick takeaways): - Grid bottlenecks: BTM gas + CCS can move faster than new interconnections. - Siting logic: Projects cluster near CO₂ pipelines/storage or on-site Class VI (e.g., Decatur). - Policy math: 45Q (US) and network hubs (EU) are reshaping economics. Watchpoints: methane management, water use, NOₓ control, storage permitting/liability, and “additionality” vs. renewables. If you’re interesting on learning more about these projects and Data Centers, just reahc out. #AI #DataCenters #CarbonCapture #CCUS #EnergyTransition #Grids #Hydrogen #Italy #USA

A major knock on #carboncapture is that many of the projects have not materialized. It’s all hype, or even “greenwashing.” But 2024 could mark a major change in that narrative. Around the world, investment in #CCS has accelerated. But more importantly, dirt is being moved and steel is going into the ground. Projects are reaching FID and advancing in ways we’ve never really seen before. Yes, CCS is real. 🇦🇺 In Australia, the Moomba CCS project was brought online this fall. The first volumes of CO2 were injected in September, and a public filing in October from one of the companies involved noted that “daily injection has reached capacity rates.” The project will ultimately be able to capture and store 1.7 million tons of CO2 per year. 🇳🇴 In Norway earlier this month, SLB Capturi completed construction of the world’s first industrial-scale carbon capture plant at a cement facility. The plant is expected to begin operations next year. 🇩🇰 In Demark this week, the Greensand Future CCS project announced FID. To start, the project will capture and store 400,000 tons of CO2 per year, a number the operators expect to grow to as much as 8 million tons per year within the next decade. 🇬🇧 In the U.K., on the same day that Greensand announced FID, the Northern Endurance CCS project announced FID as well. That project has an initial sequestration target of 4 million tons of CO2 per year. 🇯🇵 In Japan, carbon storage projects are planned in at least five locations. Companies will begin drilling exploratory wells in a manner of months. Globally, there are 628 CCS projects in the pipeline, according to the Global CCS Institute. That’s a 60% increase year over year. Like any burgeoning technology, there will be more failures. Some of the projects in the development pipeline won’t pan out. Critics will cheer in the media that the technology is still a bust. But the market is telling a different story. The increased volume of investment and the number of additional CCS projects moving into advanced stages is providing meaningful pushback to the narrative of failure. We're not just hearing that the skeptics are wrong. We can see it.

This week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) launched a major report on #CCUS policies and business models. It's the most comprehensive piece I've seen so far, and I'm glad to have contributed as one of the reviewers. The report provides a detailed overview of what exists in the policy landscape and what is missing. I warmly recommend to have a look. Some general messages: • CCUS is expected to contribute 8% of emission reductions by 2050 + #carbonremoval from the application of CCUS technologies • More than 400 projects have been announced across the value chain over the last three years, but the deployment has remained relatively flat. The long lead times (median around six years) must be urgently reduced. • The current project pipeline would only deliver a third of what's needed globally by 2030. The policymakers need to create the conditions for the industry to make the projects happen. • New part-chain business models are emerging where separate entities specialise in different parts of the CCUS value chain. • The oil and gas sector continues to play a role, and new specialised players are entering the market. These are chemical and engineering companies providing CO2 capture solutions and infrastructure, shipping companies expanding their portfolio, and new companies focusing exclusively on CCUS. • As a result, old and new players are now establishing joint ventures in a CCUS hub configuration. • New business models also create new project complexities. There is a greater need for coordination across the value chain, mitigation of counter-party risks, allocation of long-term liability, and management of shared, cross-border CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. • Governments can support the deployment of these new models and step in where challenges remain. This, of course, requires the governments to understand better the way the CCUS project development landscape is progressing. Last but not least, a visual that compares the CCS cost and the EU carbon price. There's that evergreen question of what the carbon price should be to incentivise CCS. The right answer is that a strong carbon price is only one of many elements needed. And it's barely touching the CCS applications from diluted CO2 streams today, as seen below. Link to the report in the comments.

For CCS to happen, the entire supply chain (not just the storage sites) will have to be developed. Shipping will be a key component. "A purple and turquoise vessel that docked at Tanjong Pagar Terminal on Jan 16 and 17 drew attention beyond just its unique colour. Deep in the belly of the 130m-long Northern Pathfinder are two tanks that can hold about 8,000 tonnes of planet-warming liquid carbon dioxide. Built in a China shipyard, the vessel is on its maiden voyage to Norway where an interim storage facility is waiting to receive the CO2 before the liquid is sent into a vault kilometres beneath the North Sea seabed. The Northern Pathfinder, powered by liquefied natural gas and refuelling in Singapore, is part of the world’s first cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, called Northern Lights. The project – which is jointly formed by energy and oil and gas giants Shell, TotalEnergies and Equinor – aims to contribute to a commercial CCS market in Europe. Northern Pathfinder is a glimpse of the infrastructure needed to shape CCS projects in South-east Asia and the Asia-Pacific. On Jan 17, the media, industry partners and representatives from Singapore agencies, among others, were invited to tour the ship. Shell is the lead developer of the vessel, with three more ships that will form a fleet of CO2 carriers. Northern Pathfinder’s sister ship, Northern Pioneer, left China for Norway earlier in November 2024. Transporting captured CO2 from emitter countries to storage nations using ships is key for the region’s CCS ambitions, said Ms Zharin Zhafrael Mohd, Shell’s general manager for CCS at the Asia-Pacific." "Mr Lee Teng-Huar, Shell’s general manager for maritime operations in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, said: “Compared to a pipeline which is fixed between two parties, point to point, shipping allows you to be a lot more flexible. “If the project grows a lot more scalable, it can always increase more ships to take on more volumes. Versus a pipeline where, once it’s built, capacity could be limited.” Shell has formed a consortium with ExxonMobil, and partnering the Singapore Government, has been evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of cross-border carbon capture projects here, since the Republic lacks suitable and sizeable geological storage sites. The consortium plans to develop a CCS project that can permanently store 2,500 kilo tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030, either in rock formations deep underground or under the seabed – given that the region has strong geological potential for CO2 storage. On storage locations, Shell has been looking into places like Brunei, Malaysia, China and Australia." https://lnkd.in/g5rhRpBh

It might just be my feed, my connections or the recent change in US administration, but North America has been in the spotlight for energy policy lately. Let’s not forget our friends in Southeast Asia. There has been a huge amount of support developing here for CCUS over the last several years, and last week we got a new participant. Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced a new law to support CCUS, a necessary decarbonization strategy for many of their major industries. While South Korea only produces 3.4% of the worlds steel, 4% of its petrochemicals and 1% of its cement, CCUS will be necessary for the country to achieve its 2030 emissions target of cutting emissions by 40% from 2018 levels. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮’𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 South Korea’s industrial leaders, POSCO, Hyundai Motor Company (현대자동차), SK Innovation, are keys to its economy. The new law unlocks 𝗞𝗥𝗪 𝟮 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗦𝗗 𝟭.𝟱 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻) 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 for green tech, with CCUS estimated to account for 41% of emissions cuts by 2050. Projects like the South-East CCUS Hub (1M tonnes CO₂/year) and POSCO’s hydrogen-CCS integration highlight the scale of the commitment. Although, as a geologist I need to point out there are limited storage sites (we’ll need more CO2 carriers) and retrofitting costs for companies will requires collaboration and money. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲? South Korea’s move follows several countries in Southeast Asia including: • 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮: Passed 3 CCS regulations (2023–2024), allowing cross-border CO₂ storage. • 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮: Launched tax incentives (100% capex allowance) and Sarawak’s Carbon Storage Rules • 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱: Drafting CCS-specific laws and eyeing operations by 2030. • 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲: Piloting regional hubs and bunkering ammonia/methanol. • 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻: The Asia Zero Emission Community is funneling support into LNG-CCS hybrid projects. In total, 26+ projects are in early development in the broader region. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀? For leaders and investors: Asia’s CCUS wave is here. South Korea’s policy offers additional support to an already supportive region. Key opportunities: • Early partnerships in storage infrastructure and catalytic conversion tech. • Cross-border hubs (e.g., Indonesia’s 30% foreign CO₂ storage allowance). • Risk-sharing models to derisk projects for small to medium businesses.

Like renewable energy, the cost of direct air capture (DAC) has decreased by an impressive 80% in recent years. This progress is exciting, but wider adoption of DAC hinges on overcoming challenges like *high energy consumption* to begin with. What if DAC were powered by renewable energy? Return Carbon and Verified Carbon are leading the way with "Project Concho" in Texas, a groundbreaking DAC hub powered entirely by wind energy. This marks a significant milestone in advancing sustainable carbon removal solutions. Here's why this has the potential to be a game-changer: 🟢 By utilizing wind power, Project Concho reduces reliance on fossil fuels, potentially decreasing CO2 emissions from energy generation by up to 90% compared to traditional DAC facilities. 🟢 Wind energy provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional energy sources, with the potential to lower DAC operational costs by 20-30%. This makes DAC more economically viable and scalable. 🟢 The integration of wind power optimizes energy use and improves the overall efficiency of the DAC process, potentially increasing carbon capture rates by 10-15%. Project Concho is projected to remove 50,000 tons of CO2 annually by 2030, with plans to expand to 500,000 tons per year. This initiative showcases the viability of renewable-powered DAC and its potential to contribute significantly to global carbon removal efforts. It's crucial to acknowledge that DAC is not a silver bullet solution for climate change. While it offers a powerful tool for carbon removal, it's essential to prioritize reducing emissions at the source. We cannot rely on DAC to offset continued pollution. However, DAC plays a vital role in addressing hard-to-abate emissions from sectors like heavy industry and aviation, which are difficult to eliminate completely. By incorporating DAC into a comprehensive climate strategy, we can make significant progress towards achieving net-zero targets. As we continue to innovate and scale up DAC technologies, the integration of renewable energy sources like wind power will be crucial for maximizing its effectiveness and minimizing its environmental impact. Learn more about Project Concho and the future of sustainable carbon removal: https://lnkd.in/gmKmYmfm #climateaction #sustainability #carboncapture #DAC #renewableenergy #windpower #innovation

Direct Air Capture has been making headlines, but a new project announced this week is taking things to the next level - not just in scale, but in how it’s powered. A Dutch-led consortium, including Return Carbon and Skytree is teaming up with EDF Renewables North America to develop what could be the world’s first DAC facility powered primarily by behind-the-meter clean energy. Instead of drawing electricity from the grid, the project will run largely on low-cost, on-site renewable power - a model that could redefine the economics of large-scale CO2 removal. The Texas-based facility is expected to come online in 2028, with an eventual capacity to remove 500,000 metric tons of CO2 per year - more than the average annual emissions of a natural gas plant, according to EPA data. For comparison, the world’s largest existing DAC plant captures just a fraction of that. Captured carbon will be permanently stored underground by Verified Carbon a Texas-based storage provider. If successful, this project could set a new benchmark for scalable, cost-effective DAC - one that isn’t entirely reliant on government incentives or premium carbon credits to be viable. #CarbonCapture #DAC #DirectAirCapture

Carbon capture and storage is thriving, meeting milestones we’ve never seen and entering into new geographies! Some highlights from the latest International Energy Agency (IEA) review: 1. We are seeing a general trend of more projects moving passed FEED and into construction. This is across geographies and use cases. 2. Deployments are hitting critical industries with a cement deployment in China, NG power in the UK and combined power and heat in Sweden. 3. Indonesia and Kenya began construction on a gas sweetening and DAC facility respectively, the first ever carbon management projects in those countries. 4. The Middle East and China are stepping up both investment and construction. 5. Demand for clean firm power for data centers is driving NG CCS in the power sector and we need modular (not bespoke) designs with resilient supply chains to meet scale. Notable this report didn’t include the largest ammonia facility in the world being built in the US, which will use ATR and CCS, nor did it highlight the Japanese/Malaysian storage deal. This isn’t a criticism but rather a positive set of omissions as there is too much carbon management progress to include! https://lnkd.in/efYqwyQW

A new report from the U.S. DoE offers the helpful analysis of the global Direct Air Capture landscape. With climate targets looming, DAC is no longer a theoretical solution - it’s becoming a critical tool for net-zero strategies. Here are 7 key takeaways for industry leaders, investors, and researchers: 1. Three distinct DAC pathways are emerging: - CO₂-concentrating DAC: Captures and delivers a concentrated CO₂ stream (used by 121 companies). - Reactive DAC: Integrates capture and conversion into fuels or materials (13 companies). - Direct Storage DAC: Captures CO₂ and stores it in solid form without regenerable media (8 companies). 2. The ecosystem is growing (but consolidation has started): - 142 incorporated companies are active globally, with the majority headquartered in North America and Western Europe. - M&A activity is picking up (e.g. Occidental–Carbon Engineering, Climeworks–Antecy). 3. Solid sorbents are most popular choice - Two-thirds of companies use solid capture materials. - Electrochemical and membrane approaches are gaining momentum, especially where integration with low-carbon energy is feasible. 4. Scale up is needed - Current global DAC capacity is ~20,000 tCO₂/year. - The DAC capacity needed would be between 100 Mt–2 Gt per year by 2050. - This implies >10,000x scale-up in 25 years. 5. Diverse technologies offer flexibility and risk mitigation - From passive systems to cryogenic capture, diversity in design enables deployment across geographies and sectors. - This technical plurality is essential for climate resilience and policy optionality. What do you think the future of DAC is? #CarbonRemoval #DirectAirCapture #ClimateTech #NetZero #CarbonManagement #CDR #EnergyTransition #Innovation #Research #Sustainability #Cleantech

Some interesting developments in Rotterdam... The Porthos project, Europe's largest carbon capture and storage initiative, has received the final investment approval. This project, designed to reduce carbon emissions by 10% annually in and around the Port of Rotterdam, will be operational by 2026. Porthos is a collaboration between EBN, Gasunie, and the Port of Rotterdam, with a total investment exceeding $1.3 billion. Unlike other carbon capture projects, Porthos has already fully contracted its storage capacity with companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Air Liquide, and Air Products. These companies have committed to storage contracts and investments to capture and deliver CO2 to the Porthos compressor station in the Port of Rotterdam. The project recently awarded a $32 million contract to Corinth Pipeworks in Greece for steel pipes connecting the compressor station to a depleted gas field and platform in the North Sea, located approximately 12 miles off the Dutch coast. The storage site will be roughly two miles under the seabed, with plans to store about 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually for 15 years. This development seems to be a significant step in the Netherlands' effort to reduce emissions and is recognized by the European Union as an important project in achieving climate targets, receiving a $108 million subsidy from the EU. The Netherlands joins its neighboring Denmark in its ambitious efforts towards carbon capture and storage, with cross-border collaboration and significant environmental impact. One issue is the mixed reception and opinions surrounding ‘carbon capture’ projects - are they really the answer and the right way forward for us all - what do you think about the Porthos project?  https://lnkd.in/gQaJcDUD #sustainability #ports #Denmark #CO2capture #innovation