As decarbonization has become a major topic throughout the energy industry, carbon capture projects have become increasingly popular as a solution to reduce emissions.
The ACTL system was ahead of the curve when it comes to CCUS and other carbon capture initiatives being discussed today.
“From our perspective, it has really demonstrated that decarbonization through CCUS is real,” Pearson says.
The ACTL was first proposed by Enhance Energy in the late 2000s to capture emissions from the newly built NWR refinery for use in enhanced oil recovery , a process that uses CO2 to extract oil left in place in older reservoirs.
The project also included the construction of three compressor stations, one each on or near the NWR and Nutrien sites for initial compression, and a third station offsite for final compression.
diameter line that carries CO2 from the NWR and Nutrien facilities, which are located about two miles from each other in Redwater, Alberta, to an offsite compressor station and a longer 16-in.
As an operator of traditional oil and gas pipelines, Wolf Midstream has robust experience in designing and building pipelines.
“From a construction perspective, the ACTL was designed to operate up to 2,600 psi, a higher pressure than typical hydrocarbon systems,” Pearson says.
To ensure the safe operation of the pipeline, Wolf Midstream placed valve sites every 10 miles to manage pressure.
With such a robust carbon capture infrastructure already in place, Alberta is attracting other companies interested in lowering emissions, says Lisa Tebbutt, director of business development at Wolf Midstream.For example, industrial gas supplier Air Products and its subsidiary Air Products Canada Ltd., in conjunction with the Government of Canada and the Province of Alberta, announced in June 2021 the development of a $1.3 billion net-zero hydrogen energy complex in Alberta.
We’ve received public support from Air Products, stating that ACTL was a factor in their decision to bring their hydrogen energy facility to Alberta.
The ACTL is a multi-party, open access pipeline designed to connect emitters with different end-use opportunities.
“We intend to grow volumes onto the ACTL system to move more CO2 from emitters in Alberta,” Tebbutt says.
One such expansion was announced Feb.
Initial CO2 volumes delivered to the hub are expected to be between 2 and 3 million tonnes per annum with ultimate hub volumes that could exceed 6 MTPA.
The pipeline, along with a commercial agreement, will allow for the capture, compression and transportation of carbon dioxide produced at ADM’s facilities in Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to be stored permanently underground at ADM’s fully permitted and already-operational sequestration site in Decatur, Illinois.
“There are a lot of delicate discussions to be had, and we are just in the first couple innings yet,” Noppinger says.
Noppinger says the future of carbon capture projects in the United States is driven by two factors.“One is customer driven, as companies start to plan out the next 20 to 30 years with energy transition and decarbonization of energy production in mind,” he says.
The credit was included as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act in 2018, which increases the credit value incrementally over 10 years from $10 to $35 per metric ton of CO2 stored geologically through enhanced oil recovery and from $20 to $50 per ton for saline and other forms of geologic storage.
“One of the things that distinguishes Wolf from other companies is that we take a long-term investment view for developing projects,” Noppinger says.