Midwest AgEnergy Group gets $3.4M grant for Blue Flint CCS project

In North Dakota, Midwest AgEnergy Group (MAG), the parent company to ethanol biorefinery, Blue Flint, near Underwood, ND, received a $3.4 million grant from the North Dakota Industrial Commission and are moving forward with a project that will potentially capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2).The grant will be used to advance the development of a potential carbon storage system at the Blue Flint facility located next to Coal Creek Station near Underwood, ND. The research will involve drilling a stratigraphic well to examine the geology in the area near the Blue Flint facility. The test well will enable the collection of core samples to be analyzed for suitability to safely store CO2. Upon completion of the test well and subsequent data analysis, the company will determine if a permanent well should be placed to permanently store CO2 in a deep saline formation. If the sequestration project is successfully completed, the Blue Flint facility anticipates sequestering all their CO2, which equates to approximately 200,000 tons per year. The result of the sequestration will be a lower carbon footprint for the facility and the ability to participate in the IRS 45Q tax credit program, incenting such activities.