Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC said Wednesday it has entered a long-term agreement to supply carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, transportation and storage services to Siouxland Ethanol LLC on Navigator’s Heartland Greenway carbon capture and storage (CCS) system.

heartland greenway

Navigator reached a final investment decision last fall on Heartland Greenway, a 1,300 mile CCS pipeline that would traverse five states in the Midwest. 

The pipeline is designed to transport and sequester up to 15 million metric tons/year of CO2 from industrial consumers in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Citing Environmental Protection Agency estimates, Navigator said this amount is equivalent to removing the annual carbon footprint of the Des Moines, IA, metropolitan area three times over.

The agreement with Siouxland, an ethanol plant in Jackson, NE, outlines key terms for Navigator to design and install Siouxland’s carbon capture equipment. Once the equipment is installed, the agreement calls for Navigator to capture, transport and store up to 235,000 metric tons of Siouxland’s CO2 per year, equal to the annual carbon emissions of about 51,000 vehicles.

“The provided services will create a day-one economic benefit to the facility and surrounding community, while abating almost 100% of Siouxland’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Navigator CEO Matt Vining. “The agreements in place with Siouxland and other industrial emitters of CO2 are a testament to the broad commitment by industry to decarbonize, and we couldn’t be prouder to play a role in that evolution.”

Heartland Greenway is slated to begin operations in early 2025.

“Siouxland Ethanol has been a leader in producing low carbon ethanol since its inception,” added Siouxland CEO Nick Bowdish. “Whether it be actively capturing methane from the neighboring landfill and using it to create process steam for the plant or installing the very first dryer exhaust energy recovery system, our company is a living example of how to provide real solutions to our transportation needs that both lower the carbon footprint and are readily available at scale today. 

“This agreement with Navigator takes our commitment to provide clean octane and increases it exponentially.”

The announcement comes amid a flurry of activity in the CCS segment, which is forecast to see skyrocketing investment over the next few years, mainly in North America and Europe.