Capturing America's Heartland: CO2 Pipeline

A proposed high-pressure CO2 pipeline that would be built close to residential Bismarck, ND is the topic of controversy among residents and rural landowners. The pipeline would transport carbon dioxide captured from ethanol plants in five Midwest states to an end point north and west of the Bismarck-Mandan area, in Oliver and Mercer counties.

BEK TV host Lori Hinz brings weekly updates in Capturing America’s Heartland: CO2 Pipeline, which invites experts on all sides of the issue to weigh in on a variety of concerns and benefits regarding building an unusually large pipeline so close to residents and property owners. From reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing domestic oil production, to significant technical, regulatory, and health and safety challenges, the series explores how the proposed route could affect the Heartland of America.

Capturing America's Heartland: CO2 Pipeline airs weekdays at 9 AM.

CO2 Pipeline Developments in America's Heartland: Navigator CO2 Cancels Project, Summit Carbon Solutions Faces Delays
The special report titled “Capturing America’s Heartland: CO2 Pipeline” discusses recent developments in the CO2 pipeline industry in the American Midwest. On Friday, October 20th, Navigator CO2 Ventures, one of three companies planning CO2 pipelines in the region, announced the cancellation of its Heartland Greenway pipeline project. The company cited challenges related to the unpredictable regulatory and government processes, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa, as the primary reason for the project’s cancellation. Navigator CO2’s CEO, Matt Vining, expressed disappointment at not being able to provide services to customers.

>> RELATED: Summit Carbon Adds More Ethanol Plants to Midwest Carbon Express CO2 Pipeline Network

Just one day prior, on Thursday, October 19th, Summit Carbon Solutions revealed that it expects a delay in the completion of its over 2,000-mile CO2 pipeline project. Originally planned for an earlier date, the pipeline is now expected to have supercritical CO2 flowing through it by 2026. Summit Carbon Solutions intends to sequester CO2 deep underground in North Dakota after collecting it from thirty ethanol plants in four of the five states involved in the project, including Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska, with only one ethanol plant in North Dakota’s eastern region participating.

The report also mentions that North Dakota’s Public Service Commission has delayed scheduling a hearing on Summit Carbon Solutions’ request to preempt and supersede local ordinances in Burleigh and Emmons Counties due to logistical issues and the ongoing Special Session of the legislature. The Commission has requested detailed information from Summit, including maps, surveys, studies on proposed reroutes, measures addressing landowner concerns, landslide assessments, and an analysis of a southern route around Bismarck.

While Summit Carbon Solutions did not respond to requests for comment regarding the cancellation of Navigator CO2’s project, a spokesperson for Summit expressed the company’s readiness to expand its project footprint by adding additional plants and communities to its CO2 sequestration efforts.