Summit Carbon Solutions has secured vital permits from the North Dakota Public Service Commission and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, with sequestration permits in North Dakota and construction permits in Minnesota.

 “This decision is a testament to North Dakota’s commitment to fostering innovation while working closely with communities and industries,” Wade Boeshans, executive vice president of Summit Carbon Solutions, said in a recent news release. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with stakeholders across the state to deliver long-term benefits for farmers, energy producers and local communities.”

Summit has partnered with 57 ethanol plants across Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Although the project has been met with varying levels of controversy and concern from some landowners and producers, others support the innovation and safety protocols surrounding the pipeline.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has granted a permit for the 28-mile route through Ottertail and Wilkin counties after an extensive review process that included an environmental impact statement.

“We thank the Minnesota PUC for their thorough and diligent review of our project,” Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank said. “This decision underscores the importance of balancing economic opportunities for local communities with environmental stewardship.”

Related:How to manage farm through good times and bad

The pipeline’s purpose is to capture carbon dioxide from the fermentation process of biorefineries like ethanol plants, compress the captured CO2 and route it to North Dakota, where it will be stored underground permanently.

Securing these permits serves as a major milestone for Summit to make progress toward project completion, where it is slated to begin construction in 2026 and operations in 2027. Summit says its extensive work with landowners, community leaders and stakeholders has created a path forward, while Summit has implemented material changes to incorporate feedback.

Summit Carbon Solutions says this project will drastically reduce the carbon footprint of ethanol production and enhance long-term economic viability for the agriculture industry.

Find more information about Summit Carbon Solutions and the pipeline project at summitcarbonsolutions.com.

Proposed routes

Here are the counties with proposed pipeline routes in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota, as shared by Summit Carbon Solutions:  

North Dakota

Related:Preparing for winter: Focus on ranch horse health

Minnesota

South Dakota