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Next step for carbon pipeline: Dakota permits

The CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions says permit application approval in Iowa was a good first step for the carbon pipeline project and now, attention turns to permit approvals in the Dakotas.

Lee Blank tells Brownfield two permits are needed in North Dakota, one for construction and the other for carbon storage, and one permit for construction in South Dakota, is needed to start the first phase of the project.

“We’re waiting on two rulings in North Dakota and we’d anticipate those rulings becoming transparent later in the summer. We were denied our permit in South Dakota initially last September, but we’ll soon reapply in South Dakota and get that process moving.”

He says the Iowa permit application approval should help with approval in other states.

“There’s no question every state is different. Each state is proud of who they are, but it does demonstrate an acceptance of our project.”

Blank says the company has been working to reroute the project and improving landowner engagement in South Dakota.

“I think it’s fair to say, I don’t think we’ll find a route that gives everyone comfort, but ultimately we’re working hard to find the majority of folks that we would affect who are supportive to what we’re doing.”

Blank says a carbon pipeline would grow demand for U.S. ethanol as the Sustainable Aviation Fuel market builds in the next 5 to 7 years.

“If you believe, as I do, Sustainable Aviation Fuel is going to be a future market for global ethanol, the only way the U.S. is going to be able to compete with that is by getting this infrastructure project in place and then, we build out the SAF infrastructure, which would be manufacturing facilities to manufacture SAF in various parts of the country.”

He says pending permit approvals in the Dakotas, the construction on the first phase of the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline could begin in 2025 and the construction would take at least one year. He says the company will pursue permits in Minnesota and Nebraska for phase 2 of the project.

Graphic credit: Summit Carbon Solutions