Department of Energy to invest $38 million for carbon capture in North Dakota

UPDATE: Department of Energy awards $38 million to support carbon capture at Coal Creek Station

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KFYR) - The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $38 million to support carbon capture, utilization and storage at Rainbow Energy’s Coal Creek Station.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and assisted in securing the funds. The money will go to the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) as part of the Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE program.

“North Dakota is leading the way in CCUS (carbon capture, utilization and storage),” Hoeven said. “EERC and Coal Creek Station is the latest in our efforts to keep moving the development and commercially viable implementation of this critical energy technology forward.”

Hoeven says the investment will help protect jobs provided by Coal Creek and Falkirk Mine.

Rainbow Energy Center’s website says the company is relying on carbon capture technology to ensure the future success of Coal Creek Station. It says CCUS is a critical component to help the state of North Dakota reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.

Through this technology, CO2 is captured from the facility, compressed and injected deep underground for permanent storage in geological formations. The Global CCS Institute released a report saying there were a total of 30 CCS facilities in operation around the world by the end of 2022, with over 100 more in development.