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    Valero Selected as Shipper in Summit's Carbon Capture and Storage Project for Ethanol Production

    March 6, 2024
    Valero's eight ethanol facilities are expected to be included in the project to add 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol per year and capture of 3.1 million metric tons of CO2 annually
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    65e887405b07c6001e5dc13e Valero

    Valero, a corn ethanol and low-carbon transportation fuel producer, will be a shipper on Summit Carbon Solutions’ (Summit) pipeline as part of a proposed carbon capture and storage project. The project aims to improve low-carbon fuel production for reliable energy and support for rural communities while growing the market for Midwest fuel and grain. 

    Valero's eight ethanol facilities across Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota are expected to be included in the project to add 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol per year and assist in capturing 3.1 million metric tons of CO2 annually. This will reduce the carbon intensity of ethanol production and open access to low-carbon fuel markets.

    “This project ensures the agriculture and biofuels industries will remain dynamic and competitive, meeting the needs of today while preparing for the opportunities of tomorrow,” said Bruce Rastetter, Founder and Executive Chairman of Summit Agricultural Group.

    Summit's project extends to 57 ethanol production facilities across the upper Midwest, from which it will capture and sequester over 16 million metric tons of CO2 per year, with the involvement of Valero.

    "I view our project as representing a meaningful shift in agriculture to lower the carbon intensity of biofuel products," said Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank. "It's about practical changes that can make a real difference: improving farm profitability, increasing land values, and offering solid support to our farm families and rural communities."

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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