Wolf Carbon Solutions has decided not to pursue construction of a carbon capture pipeline that would have run through Linn County and several other Eastern Iowa counties.
In Wolf Carbon’s document withdrawing its permit application, filed Dec. 2, the company explained the reasoning for its decision.
“While Wolf has continued to build relationships with landowners and stakeholders interested in the Project, a number of factors have continued to delay Wolf’s ability to proceed with the Project and Wolf has decided to cease pursuit of the required regulatory approvals at this time, as Wolf does not deem it to be an efficient utilization of resources for the Commission staff to continue processing the Petition without any certainty around Wolf’s timing for proceeding on the Project,” the filing says.
The filing, submitted by Dennis Puckett, an attorney for the Sullivan & Ward law firm of West Des Moines, also indicates that the decision may not be a permanent one.
“Wolf will make a determination concerning any required new filing with the Commission once more certainty exists concerning its plans to proceed with the Project,” the filing says. “Wolf appreciates the time and effort devoted to this Project by the Commission and its staff and looks forward to continuing to work with the Commission if and when the Project efforts resume.”
In its official filing for the project, submitted in February 2023, Wolf Carbon proposed a 280-mile liquid CO2 pipeline that would run through several Eastern Iowa counties, including the southeast portion of Linn County.
Under the proposal, Wolf said it would build the carbon sequestration pipeline between Cedar Rapids and Decatur, Illinois. The pipeline, referred to as the Mt. Simon Hub, would have transported liquefied CO2 through a pressurized pipeline from ADM plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton to an ADM sequestration facility near Decatur, Illinois, where the gas would be pumped underground at the Mt. Simon Sandstone saline reservoir for permanent storage.
The project would have been eligible for up to $1 billion in federal carbon sequestration tax credits, officials said.
“The Mt. Simon Hub is a world-class carbon capture and storage system that will position Iowa at the forefront of industrial decarbonization efforts, helping to achieve regional, national, and global carbon reduction goals. Most immediately, this project will bolster Iowa’s agricultural industry and position ethanol as the premier alternative fuel.” Mr. Noppinger said in a news release. “Our proposal is designed to accommodate modifications to Mt. Simon Hub’s specific route as appropriate based on landowner and public feedback – ultimately helping to minimize disruptions and secure voluntary easements from landowners. We look forward to continuing our conversations with landowners and community members, and welcome feedback throughout the permit process.”
According to an economic impact study by Goss & Associates, the Mt. Simon Hub would have supported 1,719 jobs during construction and 362 jobs annually during operation in Iowa.
The project faced public opposition at several meetings, including a Dec. 5, 2022 meeting at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. Opponents to carbon dioxide sequestration pipelines also gathered in February 2023 on the steps of the Iowa Statehouse in Des Moines, where lawmakers had been considering limits to eminent domain for CO2 pipeline projects.
Carbon capture pipelines are touted as an environmentally-friendly solution to deal with carbon dioxide emissions from large-scale industrial facilities, but critics have questioned the environmental claims.
