TC Energy Exits Project Tundra
Image courtesy of TC Energy
by December 6, 2024
TC Energy, a Canadian energy company and a primary sponsor of Project Tundra alongside Minnkota Power Cooperative, has pulled out of the venture, according to E&E News.
In a statement for Power Engineering, a Minnkota Power Cooperative spokesperson said that, now that TC Energy has withdrawn, securing the necessary financial resources will be crucial for moving Project Tundra forward, although the company remains optimistic about its potential.
Project Tundra aims to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the Milton R. Young Station, a coal-fired power plant near Center, North Dakota.
The captured CO2 would be permanently stored in underground geological formations beneath the plant, utilizing Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ KS-21 solvent technology. The storage site has been approved for a Class VI well permit.
Minnkota had planned to retrofit Unit 2 of the coal-fired plant, a 430 MW cyclone-fired boiler, to capture up to 90% of its CO2 emissions. Project leaders estimate the project could capture an average of 4 million metric tons of CO2 annually.
Project Tundra has received substantial federal funding, including nearly $400 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE) last year and an additional $43 million in 2020.
Proponents of carbon capture technology argue it can enable the continued operation of fossil fuel power plants while reducing emissions. The Biden Administration’s EPA Power Plant Rule mandates that coal-fired and new natural gas-fired plants either implement carbon capture or face closure by specific deadlines in the 2030s.
However, opponents of the rule, which may be overturned under the new Trump Administration, contend that carbon capture systems are expensive and energy-intensive.
Earlier this year, officials from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) filed court documents highlighting the challenges facing Project Tundra.
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https://carbonherald.com/tc-energy-exits-project-tundra/
Also Read: https://carbonherald.com/doe-grants-49m-for-project-tundra-construction/