Wyoming welcomes direct air capture project to the Cowboy State

The Wyoming Business Council reports that a new direct air capture (DAC) project is coming to Wyoming. 

Project Bison is a partnership between CarbonCapture Inc. (CCI), a U.S. company that develops DAC systems, and carbon dioxide sequestration operator Frontier Carbon Solutions. The Project aims to permanently remove and store five million tons of atmospheric CO2 annually by 2030, according to a WBC release.

The WBC reports the operation will deploy CarbonCapture’s DAC modules and Frontier’s Class VI CO2 storage wells over multiple phases through 2030 in order to meet the rapidly growing demand from global companies and governments for high-quality engineered carbon removal.

“As the Energy State, we are committed to advancing the carbon management industry in Wyoming,” Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said. “We are an early leader in developing carbon capture possibilities and policy. The interest in locating a project of this scale here demonstrates Wyoming’s commitment to CO2 capture, use and storage projects as this industry develops.”

Project Bison is being built in Wyoming largely because of the state’s deep saline aquifers, which have the geological features ideal for Class VI wells — a regulatory designation established by the Environmental Protection Agency managed by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for secure, permanent CO2 storage. 

“Wyoming’s position as an early leader in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) has positioned the state to be at the forefront of a rapidly expanding portfolio of carbon management projects,” Senior Director of Research, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources Scott Quillinan said.

“The direct air capture industry is exciting because the reasons it works here – including our energy focus and skilled workforce – are rooted firmly in Wyoming’s heritage, and it’s helping to advance innovation in order to build resilient communities and create opportunities to thrive,” WBC Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Fitz-Gerald said.

According to the WBC, CarbonCapture and Frontier Carbon Solutions are working closely with community stakeholders to ensure that Project Bison offers high-quality jobs and helps enable communities to withstand economic uncertainties with confidence. 

“We’re very proud to launch our first large-scale DAC project in Wyoming. We look forward to working closely with the community and anticipate creating many permanent, well-paying jobs that leverage the deep skill set of the local workforce,” CEO and CTO of CarbonCapture Inc. Adrian Corless said.  

“Project Bison – and others like it – have the potential to contribute to Wyoming’s net zero aspirations,” Executive Director of the Wyoming Energy Authority Dr. Glen Murrell said. “Wyoming has been a leader in carbon management, and we welcome CarbonCapture Inc.’s commitment to the state.”

Pending regulatory approval, Project Bison will begin operations in late 2023, at which point it would be the first atmospheric carbon removal facility to use Class VI wells for permanent storage as well as the first massively scalable DAC project in the United States.

To learn more about direct air capture, view the Wyoming Business Council’s pamphlet. To learn more about CarbonCapture Inc., and Frontier Carbon Solutions, click the links provided.