DOE Selects Aera Federal's Direct Air Capture-Kern County Project for Feasibility Study

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Department of Energy announced the selection of Aera Federal LLC to begin award negotiations, valued at $4.5 mln, to conduct a feasibility study for a regional direct air capture (DAC) hub at the Belridge oil field in Kern County, California. The feasibility study will be funded mostly by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and partly by Aera.

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“The announcement marks a significant milestone,” said Aera Energy President and CEO Erik Bartsch. “By integrating technologies like DAC with existing assets on the ground and other decarbonizing facilities to come, we can make real progress toward achieving California’s carbon neutrality goals while creating new jobs and opportunities in Kern County.”

Aera Federal will serve as the lead on the Aera Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub – Kern project, while Battelle will act as a key partner due to their emerging decarbonization and climate resilience programs and a vibrant program in commercial deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage.

Aera Federal, Battelle, and partners Mosaic Materials and Carbon Capture* will work with the Department of Energy to bring the proposed direct air capture (DAC) hub one step closer to reality. The Aera Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub – Kern project will capture carbon emissions from the atmosphere and safely transport and store them at Aera’s sequestration site. The hub would integrate capture, lower-carbon energy sources, transportation, and storage infrastructure to build an innovative lower-carbon supply chain.

The feasibility study will help establish the viability of DAC as a business and technology for large-scale California decarbonization; and identify optimal pathways, technologies, and partners to scale DAC to help meet California and global climate goals.

About Aera Federal LLC

Aera Federal LLC, a subsidiary of Aera Energy LLC, is a federal government contractor in the renewable energy space. Aera Federal, a Delaware corporation, doing business in California, was formed in 2023.

About Aera Energy LLC

Aera Energy is a California company and a long-time leader in the energy industry, accounting for nearly 25 percent of the state’s oil production. Formed in 1997, Aera is headquartered in Bakersfield and known for excellent safety and environmental performance, innovative business practices, application of cutting-edge technology, a dynamic company culture and being a valued community partner. With operations centered in the San Joaquin Valley, much of Aera’s oil production comes from Kern County. Aera also has active oil field operations in Ventura, Monterey, and Fresno counties. For more information, please visit www.aeraenergy.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.