Summit Carbon Solutions is in a holding pattern on its first and second phases for its underground pipeline project in Iowa.

CEO Lee Blank tells Raccoon Valley Radio they are wanting to install underground pipelines in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and North and South Dakotas to capture carbon dioxide from several ethanol plants and travel through the pipeline where it will be stored underground in North Dakota forever. He explains why Summit Carbon Solutions is pursuing this project is because agriculture is adapting to new markets to sustain the overall industry.

“And those new markets are emerging, and those new markets are low carbon products that people that do believe there is a change in the climate are willing to pay for those products, and pay a premium for those products. And so this is just agriculture adapting to go hit this new low carbon economy that is growing.”

As for Iowa’s portion, Blank mentions the original permit, including 687 miles in 29 counties, and about 12 miles goes into Greene County, had its hearings completed last year and is anticipating a ruling from the Iowa Utilities Board within one month. Following the ruling, Blank points out they will begin the additional routes that include Valero and POET ethanol plants, and that includes 27 miles into Greene County to connect to POET Biorefining. He adds the first step would be to hold public informational meetings.

“We had proposed to the IUB an April/May time (for) public meetings for the second permit, and frankly they (the IUB) don’t want to do that because they want the Iowa farmer to be done planting. And quite frankly, that’s the right decision, because so do we.” 

Blank says of the other four states considered for the pipeline project, Iowa is the closest to having a permit approved. He anticipates North Dakota to have its ruling mid to late summer and Nebraska to be done by the end of this calendar year. He notes they had a permit rejected in South Dakota, but will re-submit the permit this July and it takes up to one year for a ruling to be made when the application is turned in. Lastly, Blank states that Minnesota is going to take the longest and may take a few years to complete.