CASPER, Wyo. — A new direct air carbon capture project is slated to be developed in Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council announced Thursday.
“Project Bison” aims to remove and store 5 million tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide per year by 2030, the WBC said. The project is a partnership between CarbonCapture Inc. and Frontier Carbon Solutions.
If the project gets regulatory approval, operations are expected to begin in late 2023. It would be the first carbon removal facility to use Class VI storage wells to permanently store carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere and would be the first large-scale project in the United States to utilize direct air capture systems, the WBC said.
CarbonCapture Inc. develops the direct air capture systems while Frontier Carbon Solutions offers the Class VI carbon dioxide storage wells. Wyoming was selected for the project because it has deep saline aquifers that are ideal for such Class VI storage wells, the WBC said. Class VI is a designation established by the Environmental Protection Agency for wells that can securely, permanently store carbon dioxide.
“As the Energy State, we are committed to advancing the carbon management industry in Wyoming,” Gov. Mark Gordon said in the press release. “We are an early leader in developing carbon capture possibilities and policy. The interest in locating a project of this scale here demonstrates Wyoming’s commitment to CO2 capture, use and storage projects as this industry develops.”
The project is expected to be developed in multiple phases and could offer jobs to Wyoming communities.
“We look forward to working closely with the community and anticipate creating many permanent, well-paying jobs that leverage the deep skill set of the local workforce,” Adrian Corless, CEO and CTO of CarbonCapture Inc., said.
