Thanks to some advantageous geologic formations beneath our feet, Indiana may soon have the opportunity to launch an entirely new type of industrial construction project. Many of the biggest employers in the state are looking into ways to offset their carbon footprints, and one of the options they’re considering is called carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). As it turns out, our state has just the right conditions to make this possible, and just the right kind of demand to make it feasible.
So, what is involved in carbon capture, or CCUS? And why might it be a great business opportunity for Indiana companies? Let’s dive into the details and find out.
What is CCUS?
The primary method of CCUS under consideration in Indiana involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at their point of generation, transferring them via pipelines, and storing it deep underground.
Indiana’s geology is ideal for carbon storage for several reasons. Porous limestone deposits stand out as one good storage option because of tiny air gaps that exist deep among the rocks. These deposits are abundant throughout the state. In fact, Bedford, IN is known as the “Limestone Capital of the World.”
We have other potential storage mediums too, like our oil and gas reservoirs, coal seams, sandstone, and deep saline formations (aquifers filled with salty water).
The Indiana Geological Survey reported that, “Deep saline aquifers are considered important potential CO2 sinks because many are large and may be capable of storing large volumes of carbon dioxide.” The organization also stated these formations are “particularly attractive in Indiana because of their distribution and their favorable geologic characteristics.”
Policy and Possibility Opens Up
Our state’s leadership has already taken big steps to open things up for CCUS investment. Towards the end of 2022, a new bill called House Enrolled Act 1209 was signed into law by Indiana Governor Holcomb. This bill created a new permit program and guidelines for companies regarding underground storage of CO2 emissions. Officials said this new legislation positions Indiana as a leader in carbon capture and emissions reduction and could make Northwest Indiana one of the largest hubs of this type in the country.
“This bipartisan legislation is keeping Indiana ahead of the pack by setting up a permit program to allow companies to capture their carbon emissions and store them underground. This is a safe and effective process used around the world, which will also help stimulate growth in our economy by encouraging investments and cutting down on costly regulation,” said State Representative Ed Soliday, who was the author of House Enrolled Act 1209.
The bill was ceremoniously signed at the bp Whiting Refinery, which is important because bp is one of the largest regional companies that has been exploring the use of CCUS technology. Throughout the spring of this year, bp held a series of community discussions where officials discussed the ways a CCUS project could help reduce emissions produced by the heavy industrial operations in Northwest Indiana.
“Carbon capture and storage continues to place Indiana at the top of the energy conversation, and it could be a major win for the state,” said Tomeka McLeod, vice president of bp’s US hydrogen business. “It can help Indiana’s industrial sector grow and compete in a lower carbon world, protect, and grow good jobs for the future, and provide a new source of revenue for local landowners and communities. It also has potential to attract new businesses, business opportunities and investments in Indiana.”
The bp Whiting Refinery has a goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Currently, there is still much planning that would need to take place before a CCUS project could launch, but officials said that Indiana has many of the right elements already in place.
One of the hypothetical scenarios discussed by bp has been to drill thousands of feet into the ground into the Mount Simon Sandstone layer. This sandstone is porous and rests beneath an impermeable layer of shale that would essentially trap the carbon in place.
Before anything like this could happen, bp officials say that much more seismic testing needs to take place to determine exactly where storage locations could be. Possible locations could include rural areas of Pulaski, White, Newton, Jasper, and Benton counties.
What Are the Potential Economic Impacts?
CCUS projects may end up standing out as fantastic opportunities for construction firms. Many of the state’s leading manufacturers have sustainability targets like bp does, and it’s going to take a lot of builders to lay the CCUS infrastructure these companies will need.
To learn more about what the economic development impacts may be, we reached out to Dan Botich, an associate and Senior Economic Development Professional with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH), an architectural and civil engineering firm in Munster, IN.
“Indiana’s location among major industry and its geological/locational combination has a burgeoning potential for carbon storage economic development benefits, much like plastics did back in 1967,” Botich said.
“Development for carbon sequestration is anticipated to impact land minimally, as it would require either underground piping or exposed piping to access the storage areas thousands of feet below the surface. If not directly accessed by an underground piping system, access would be required for tanker vehicles. Of course, facilities and structures would be required to control this process, but since no manufacturing or production is occurring, the release of harmful materials into the environment may be minimal or non-existent,” he continued.
“Using the geological formations below our feet would also allow for a “vertical” development of land, only in this case downward, which maximizes the economic benefits of the land to our state’s advantage. Think of this as reverse-mining. We are putting a “mineral,” in this case CO2 in solid form, in the ground for later use and sale when technology and demand are available to reuse sustainably or to percolate to the surface thousands of years in the future.”
Botich concluded with optimistic note about CCUS projects, saying, “There are many questions, but science and methodologies are advancing. As of today, and with the foresight of its legislature, Indiana is poised to control most of the carbon sequestration pie to our overall economic benefit. Not to mention ancillary or support industries that will be located near such facilities. Land development plans will begin to consider geology just as important as topography.”
Pollution to Potential Profit
Aside from the near-term economic potential, a whole range of industries might benefit from the use of stored carbon dioxide in the future.
CO2 can be used to produce materials like concrete, biofuels, fertilizer, and hydrogen. The gas is also used in the production of beers and other beverages, chemicals, polymers, building materials, and much more. One company even made a pair of sneakers called the “shoes without a footprint,” of which 75% its material came from emitted power plant gasses. Another company has been discussing the use of CO2 in biochemical processes to produce pharmaceuticals.
The possibilities are truly quite broad, and innovation in this arena is projected to eventually reach a level that just might make captured CO2 a viable component for widespread manufacturing.
Promising Opportunity
CCUS offers a promising business opportunity for Indiana companies to reduce carbon emissions and profit from a totally new avenue of industrial construction. These types of projects could eventually become revenue generators for Indiana's construction industry, while also creating job opportunities and opening up various industries that could benefit from stored carbon dioxide. With our abundant natural options for possible storage locations and our recent legislation that opened the door for investment, Indiana is already positioned as a leader in carbon capture and storage.
