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CarbonSafe Initiative

J-LOC1 Well at the Project Tundra site. EERC’s Project Tundra is two projects in one: 1) Divert flue gas then separate CO2 and 2) inject CO2 into the storage formation. Photo courtesy of UND, EERC DE-FE0031889

Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Overview:

The Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative began in 2016 with the goal of addressing the key gaps on the critical path towards Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) deployment. Building upon the knowledge and experience of the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships’ (RCSPs’) efforts, this initiative is performing identification and detailed characterization of geologic storage sites. The vision of CarbonSAFE is to understand the development of a CCS storage complex from the feasibility study until the point of injection through the following phases of project progress: Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Pre-Feasibility, Storage Complex Feasibility, Site Characterization and Permitting, and Construction. The CarbonSAFE Initiative will reduce technical risk, uncertainty, and the cost of commercial-scale saline storage projects. Results will improve the understanding of project screening, site selection, characterization, baseline monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) procedures, and information necessary to submit appropriate permit applications for such projects.

The CarbonSAFE effort contributes to furthering the development and refinement of technologies and techniques critical to the characterization of potential 50+ million metric ton (MMT) storage complexes. Project research will provide insight into the integration of site characterization information into reservoir simulations and design of injection and monitoring strategies. The progress made by the CarbonSAFE Initiative will instill greater confidence that commercial-scale CCS projects can be integrated in a technically and economically feasible manner.

Locations of CarbonSAFE Integrated CCS Pre-Feasibility projects. Click to enlarge.

Pre-Feasibility projects conducted economic feasibility analyses for targeted sites under varying scenarios under Phase I. In addition, extensive regional data was collected, analyzed, and modeled; multiple storage sites and infrastructure were evaluated; and business plans for a variety of CCS scenarios were developed. Overall lessons learned from the pre-feasibility projects include the following:

  • CCS projects require strong collaborations and a business-focused strategy.
  • Strong host site support is critical.
  • Capture costs are a limiting factor for making CCS economical.
  • Stacked storage is feasible but may not be practical at every storage site.
  • Pressure management may be necessary to meet target rates and volumes.
  • Reservoir heterogeneity requires improved models and data to increase plume behavior accuracy.
Locations of CarbonSAFE Storage Complex Feasibility projects. Click to enlarge.

Research in the Storage Complex Feasibility projects focuses on one or more specific reservoirs within the defined storage complex, encompassing:

  • Data collection.
  • Geologic analysis.
  • Identification of contractual and regulatory requirements and plans to satisfy them.
  • Subsurface modeling to support geologic characterization, risk assessment, and monitoring.
  • Public outreach.

Projects in this phase may drill characterization well and acquire geologic data from seismic surveys, core logs, and well tests. These projects evaluate initial reservoir characteristics to determine if the reservoir is suitable for 50+ MMT geologic storage, address technical and non-technical challenges that may arise, develop a risk assessment and CO2 management strategy for the project; and assist with the validation of National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) tools and other United States Department of Energy (DOE) tools.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) continues to award new projects under CarbonSAFE Phase II that will improve procedures to safely, efficiently, and affordably assess onshore and offshore project sites for commercial-scale geologic carbon storage.

Locations of the CarbonSAFE Site Characterization and CO2 Capture Assessment projects and the Carbon Capture Program’s Front End Engineering Design (FEED) Study projects. Click to enlarge.

CarbonSAFE Phase III projects commenced in 2020 and include the acquisition, analysis, and development of information to fully characterize storage complexes at multiple locations across the nation to demonstrate storage resources for commercial volumes of CO2 (a minimum of 50 MMT of CO2 within a 30-year period). These projects will provide lessons learned by doing, information on the costs of early mover projects, data on project risks, practice in adhering to regulations, and a basis for public acceptance. This phase also involves the identification of a storage site(s) within the storage complex, as well as the preparation and submission of an Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI permit to construct for each proposed injection well at the site(s). Projects identify and provide a pre-feasibility study of the commercial sources of anthropogenic CO2 and the necessary capture technology(ies) that can be used to provide the quality and quantity of CO2 needed. Once the UIC Class VI permit(s) to construct are submitted, additional activities include working with the regulators to satisfy their requirements until construction authorization is granted. Finally, this phase addresses pore/surface rights as needed, rights of way as needed, all other permitting processes and requirements (including National Environmental Policy Act [NEPA] determination and issuance), liability relief, and finance agreements in support of the business model for eventual commercial operations. Phase III projects continue to be awarded as part of an ongoing effort to meet decarbonization goals.

Phase III.5: NEPA, Storage Development Plan and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Studies Only: Phase III.5 is intended for applicants who have completed most Phase III activities independent of DOE. It entails completion of NEPA determination and issuance, preparing storage development plans, and conducting FEED studies before being considered for Phase IV.

Subject to the availability of funding, the final phase of CarbonSAFE, Construction, will involve the drilling and completion of the injection and monitoring wells, completion of risk and mitigation plans, public engagement, and obtainment of authorization to inject.

CarbonSAFE Phase I Project Landing Pages
Nebraska Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Pre-Feasibility Study University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC)
FE0029186
Integrated Pre-Feasibility Study for CO2 Geological Storage in the Cascadia Basin, Offshore Washington State and British Columbia Columbia University 
FE0029219
Integrated Mid-Continent Stacked Carbon Storage Hub Battelle Memorial Institute
FE0029264
Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage in the Louisiana Chemical Corridor Louisiana State University 
FE0029274
Northern Michigan Basin CarbonSAFE Integrated Pre-Feasibility Project Battelle Memorial Institute
FE0029276
CarbonSAFE Rocky Mountain Phase I: Ensuring Safe Subsurface Storage of Carbon Dioxide in the Intermountain West University of Utah
FE0029280
Integrated Pre-Feasibility Study of a Commercial-Scale Commercial Carbon Capture Project in Formations of the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming University of Wyoming
FE0029302
CarbonSAFE Illinois East Sub-Basin Illinois State Geological Survey
FE0029445
CAB-CS: Central Appalachian Basin CarbonSAFE Integrated Pre-Feasibility Project Battelle Memorial Institute
FE0029466
Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage in Kansas (ICKan) University of Kansas Center for Research
FE0029474
Integrated CCS Pre-Feasibility in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico University of Texas at Austin
FE0029487
California CO2 Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (C2SAFE) Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
FE0029489
CarbonSAFE Phase II Project Landing Pages
CarbonSAFE Illinois Macon County Illinois State Geological Survey
FE0029381
Establishing An Early Carbon Dioxide Storage (ECO2S) Complex in Kemper County, Mississippi:  Project ECO2S Southern States Energy Board (SSEB)
FE0029465
North Dakota Integrated Carbon Storage Complex Feasibility Study University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC)
FE0029488
Integrated Midcontinent Stacked Carbon Storage Hub Battelle Memorial Institute
FE0031623
Commercial-Scale Carbon Storage Complex Feasibility Study at Dry Fork Station, Wyoming University of Wyoming
FE0031624
Wabash CarbonSAFE University of Illinois
FE0031626
Sutter County CO2 Capture and Storage Project, Northern California Gas Technology Institute
FE0032239
Tulare County Carbon Storage Project (TCCSP) Advanced Resources International, Inc.
FE0032264
Coastal Bend Carbon Management Project: CarbonSAFE Phase II Port of Corpus Christi Authority of Nueces County, Texas
FE0032265
Unita Basin CarbonSAFE II: Storage Complex Feasibility University of Utah
FE0032266
Optimizing Alabama’s CO2 Storage in Shelby County (OASIS) Southern States Energy Board (SSEB)
FE0032267
Mitchell CarbonSAFE University of Illinois
FE0032268
Louisiana Offshore Carbon Dioxide Hub Repurposing Infrastructure to Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Project Lochridge) Southern States Energy Board
FE0032270
Hermiston Oregon Basalt Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise University of Wyoming
FE0032279
Roughrider Carbon Storage Hub University of North Dakota
FE0032282
Carbon Storage Complex Feasibility for Commercial Development in Southeastern Michigan Battelle Memorial Institute
FE0032312
CarbonSAFE Phase III Project Landing Pages
Establishing An Early Carbon Dioxide Storage (ECO2S) Complex in Kemper County, Mississippi:  Project ECO2S (Phase III) University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (UNDEERC)
FE0031888
North Dakota CarbonSAFE Phase III: Site Characterization and Permitting Southern States Energy Board (SSEB)
FE0031889
San Juan Basin CarbonSAFE Phase III: Ensuring Safe Subsurface Storage of Carbon Dioxide in Saline Reservoirs New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT)
FE0031890
Wyoming CarbonSAFE: Accelerating CCUS Commercialization and Deployment at Dry Fork Power Station and the Wyoming Integrated Test Center University of Wyoming
FE00031891
Illinois Storage Corridor University of Illinois
FE0031892
Coal Creek Carbon Capture: Site Characterization and Permitting University of North Dakota
FE0032331
Longleaf CCS Hub Southern States Energy Board
FE0032341

 

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