Open house for Red Trail Energy’s carbon capture process

RICHARDTON, N.D. (KFYR) - North Dakota is leading the way for carbon capture.

Red Trail Energy in Richardton is the only ethanol facility that is capturing one hundred percent of its distillation carbon dioxide and storing it underground.

It is the first carbon capture and storage facility allowed under state and EPA rules.

“It sets our ethanol production facility apart from other ethanol production facilities,” said Gerald Bachmeier, Red Trail Energy CEO.

“Noth Dakota’s geology is ideal for carbon storage. We hit the geology jackpot, and this is an opportunity for surface owners and pore space owners to monetize something that had no value until today,” said Lynn Helms, Department of Mineral Resources director

Wednesday, the plant held an open house for visitors to tour the facilities and learn about the carbon capture process.

It starts in one area and is sent to the compression system where it is turned from a gas to a liquid. It is then pumped and stored underground from there.

“The safety side of things is a huge amount of money spent on it and we’re very confident in what we have in place,” said Bachmeier.

Bachmeier says the project was made possible by a federal tax credit and low carbon fuel standard markets within the U.S. He adds that they will be the example for carbon capture not just statewide, but nationwide.

He says they buy 98 percent of their corn from in-state corn producers.

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