Donaldsonville ready for permanent carbon sequestration

UNITED STATES

Donaldsonville ready for permanent CO2 sequestration

The carbon dioxide (CO2) dehydration and compression unit at CF Industries’ nitrogen production complex at Donaldsonville, Louisiana, is ready to start up. The unit enables the transportation and permanent geological sequestration of up to two million t/a of CO2 generated at the site – emissions that would otherwise enter the atmosphere.

ExxonMobil, CF’s carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) partner at Donaldsonville, is responsible for transporting the CO2 and its permanent storage. The company is currently using enhanced oil recovery to geologically store CO2 generated at the complex.

However, once it has the necessary permits, ExxonMobil is planning to transport and store the CO2 from Donaldsonville at dedicated permanent sites, starting with its Rose CCS project. This is one of a number of dedicated storage sites ExxonMobil is developing along the US Gulf Coast as it expands its integrated CCS network.

The US Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft Class VI permit for the Rose CCS project in July, with final permits expected later this year.

“The start-up of the Donaldsonville carbon dioxide dehydration and compression facility and initiation of sequestration by ExxonMobil is a historic milestone in our Company’s decarbonization journey,” said Tony Will, president and CEO of CF Industries. “By starting permanent sequestration now, we reduce our emissions, accelerate the availability of low-carbon ammonia for our customers and begin generating valuable 45Q tax credits.”

As a result of its Donaldsonville CCS project, CF Industries anticipates producing approximately 1.9 million tonnes of low-carbon ammonia annually. The company also expects to qualify for tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides a credit per tonne of CO2 stored.