By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
RUSSELL— PureField Ingredients in Russell conducted a ribbon-cutting for its carbon sequestration project on Wednesday and announced plans to double its ethanol production capacity at the plant.
The plant is authorized to store 150,000 metric tons of carbon annually, equivalent to the emissions from 32,000 vehicles.
“This one facility, with this system operating, PureField is producing … some of the lowest carbon intensity ethanol in the country and some of the lowest in the world,” Aaron Buettner, PureField CEO, said.
“In fact, we are producing effectively zero-carbon-intensity ethanol from our wheat starch feedstock. That's an accomplishment that we're really proud of.”
He said the project is the result of what is possible when private investment meets public sector partnership and the support of a local community around a shared vision.
Buettner described the capture process.
The plant captures all of the CO2 that's generated from fermenting feedstocks to create ethanol. This is CO2 that was released into the atmosphere before this facility was built.
PureField compresses it and then moves it down a six-mile pipeline to the wellhead, where it is permanently injected deep underground and stored.
“We see this as an investment that unlocks the future of this place. It opens access to fast-growing markets for low-carbon renewable fuels, both in the U.S. but also abroad,” Buettner said.
He said as PureField grows, it’s going to buy more Kansas grain and reward growers for quality and production practices that create value.
“At the end of the day, that means putting more money in the hands of farmers, and we all know farmers need that these days,” Buettner said.
He said the plant’s growth will also create more jobs and investment in Russell.
Buettner also thanked the EPA for its partnership in the project.
“Obviously, EPA is playing its very important role as a regulator and oversight of this, which gives us the confidence and the public the confidence to allow projects like this to happen,” he said.
“But it could have been a lot more adversarial or a lot more friction-filled, and it wasn't. It was a partnership.”
EPA Region Seven Administrator Jim Macy was on hand for the ribbon cutting.
He said the plant is the first in the nation to have this level of carbon capture, calling the project a milestone.
“This permit reflects EPA support for domestic energy growth and the growth of our rural economies, while also fulfilling our core mission of protecting human health and the environment,” Macy said.
“EPA takes its authority to protect underground sources of drinking water seriously, and this permit is the result of years of work between PureField carbon capture and our water division program.”
He said the company is required to conduct rigorous monitoring of the sequestration well during injection and for 50 years after.
Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kansas, also attended the ribbon cutting.
“It's great to be here to celebrate this major investment in Kansas agriculture, American energy, and rural manufacturing,” Mann said. … “This new facility will strengthen domestic production, help American energy compete around the world and support continued investment right here in our rural Kansas, which we all love.”
Mann added, “Times are tough in farming right now. We know where inputs are and where prices are, but projects like this are essential because we've got to continue to figure out how we add value to our ag products here before they leave our state.”