CO 2 capture from ethanol production and storage into the Mt Simon Sandstone

Under the Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage (ICCS) program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) is co‐sponsoring the Archer Daniels Midland Company's (ADM's) large‐scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Illinois. The Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory manages this project, which receives $141.4 million in ARRA funding and another $66.5 million in private sector cost‐sharing. This project, also referred to as the Illinois ICCS project, is under construction in Decatur, Illinois, and is scheduled to begin operations in 2013. The project team members are ADM, DOE, Schlumberger Carbon Services, Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), and Richland Community College (RCC). The Illinois ICCS project will demonstrate an integrated system for collecting up to 907 000 tonnes per year of CO 2 from ADM's ethanol plant in Decatur and geologically sequestering it in the Mt Simon Sandstone, a saline reservoir. The project scope includes the design, construction, and integrated operation of CO 2 compression, dehydration, and injection facilities, and monitoring, verification, and accounting of the stored CO 2 . Significant field work has been completed, i.e. design of the integrated CCS system, 3‐D seismic survey and site characterization, and mechanical construction of the compression and dehydration facilities. This is the largest saline storage project under construction in the USA. This paper will provide an overview and benefits of the Illinois ICCS project, present the field work results, and highlight the current status and future plans. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd