Iowa Carbon Capture Opportunities
With recent announcements of a carbon sequestration task force and a robust ethanol industry, Iowa holds significant potential for deploying carbon management technologies. Fifty-six power and industrial facilities in the state are eligible for the federal 45Q tax credit. In the ethanol sector alone, 41 facilities within the state are potentially economically feasible near-term candidate facilities for carbon capture retrofits. These 41 facilities could capture an estimated 12.9 million metric tons of CO2 per year if retrofitted. Given this potential, Iowa is well-situated to participate in the carbon market. The recently announced carbon sequestration task force will continue to explore the economic opportunities around carbon capture and inform policy and strategy.
Industrial Facilities that Qualify for the Tax Credit in Iowa
The Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative has identified industrial facilities in numerous states as early candidates for carbon capture retrofits. These facilities could qualify for the revamped federal 45Q tax credit for projects that capture carbon from industrial facilities and power plants for geologic storage and beneficial use. Facilities were selected based on emissions, equipment, and estimated capture cost.
Economically Feasible Industries in Iowa
The Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative estimated theoretical capture costs based on published capture equipment costs, facility-specific operational patterns, existing equipment, and level of emissions. Based on that data, the graphic below displays several of Iowa most likely economically feasible candidates for capture, along with estimated capturable emissions in million metric tons and estimated range of capture costs for facilities in each industry. This list is not meant to be definitive. Commercial decisions by participating companies and policy and regulatory decisions by state governments will ultimately determine if a project is feasible for carbon capture. “Captured Emissions” refers to the amount of carbon dioxide that can be expected to be captured at a facility considering relevant technological and economic constraints.
