North Dakota Carbon Capture Opportunities

North Dakota has the potential to capture over 7 million metric tons (MT) of non-biogenic CO2 at six industrial and power facilities that have been identified as economically feasible candidates for near-term retrofit with carbon capture technology. The state has several laws in place and added additional measures during the 2021 legislative session that create a favorable environment for carbon capture development and investment. Governor Doug Burgum has set an impressive goal of achieving a carbon neutral status by 2030 and highlights carbon capture as a promising solution to attain reliable and affordable energy while lowering emissions. Near- and medium-term modeling suggests up to 568 miles of CO2 transport infrastructure capable of generating over $598 million in capital investment can be developed in the state.

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 North Dakota 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.