Office of Sen. Cramer announces Project Tundra's final development stage
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Jun. 28—BISMARCK — One of the world's largest planned carbon capture projects, slated for operation in western North Dakota, has entered its final stage of development.
The announcement was made with a news release from the office of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, who serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The initiative, called "Project Tundra," is designed to capture up to 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which will in turn be stored over a mile underground in geologic formations. It is a collaborative effort between energy partners Minnkota Power Cooperative, TC Energy, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kiewit.
Operations will take place at the coal-based Milton R. Young Power Plant near Center, North Dakota.
"Today's announcement from Minnkota on Project Tundra is another exciting step toward scaling up carbon capture in North Dakota," Cramer said. "Congratulations to Minnkota, TC Energy, Mitsubishi, Kiewit, and its affiliate team on their partnership and moving to the final stage of development. I look forward to North Dakota's historic and continued leadership in CCUS technology."
"If our organizations are successful in making this historic project a reality, Minnkota will be one of the fastest decarbonizing utilities in the country while maintaining stable electric rates and a reliable, resilient power supply," said Mac McLennan, Minnkota president and CEO. "By working together, we aim to advance carbon capture technology in a way that can serve as a blueprint for our state, nation and world to meet ambitious decarbonization goals."
The project's participants submitted applications in May for a $350 million grant through the U.S. Department of Energy's Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program, along with a $150 million loan through the state of North Dakota's Clean Sustainable Energy Authority.
At present, the project has been approved for a $100 million loan from the CSEA. Closing financial details and a notice to proceed with construction are expected by early 2024.
