The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Class VI permits for carbon management specialist Occidental and its subsidiary 1PointFive to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) captured in Ector County, Texas.
In total, three wells have been approved for CO2 storage. These have the capacity to store around 722,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum at a site around 4,400 feet below the ground.
Occidental will store the CO2 captured from its STRATOS plant, which is designed to capture up to 500,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Once operational later this year, it will be the world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) facility.
Vicki Hollub, CEO and President of Occidental, described the news as a significant milestone for the company that would also support energy security.
“The permits are a catalyst to unlock value from CO2 and advance DAC technology as a solution to help organisations address their emissions or produce vital resources and fuels.”
EPA rules require a company to provide analysis of the site to ensure that the construction and operation of the proposed wells is not harming the environment, including preventing contamination to underground sources of drinking water.
The permits were issued under the Safe Drinking Water Act’s Underground Injection Control programme.
To receive the permits, Occidental had to demonstrate that its technologies, processes, monitoring programmes and other procedures met or exceeded federal and state requirements for injection wells that store CO2 in geologic formations more than one mile underground.
While in operation, Class VI wells require monitoring for well integrity, groundwater quality, and CO2 movement.
