Missouri Carbon Capture Opportunities

Missouri holds significant potential for carbon capture in its ethanol, natural gas, coal, and cement industries. 27 of the state’s industrial facilities qualify for the recently extended and revised federal 45Q tax credit. Although Missouri does not yet provide comprehensive regulation or guidance legislation on carbon capture technology, there has been general support for carbon capture in the state.  In 2015, the state energy plan recognized carbon capture as an avenue for decarbonization, giving Missouri an opportunity to offset carbon emissions while sustaining economically vital and job-creating industries like ethanol, coal, and cement.

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 for geologic storage and beneficial use. Facilities were selected based on emissions, equipment, and estimated capture cost. 

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 Missouri 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.