Carbon capture, utilization, and storage hub development on the Gulf Coast

The Gulf Coast of the United States hosts diverse power generation, refining, and petrochemical processing facilities, resulting in the nation’s largest volumetric concentration of industrial CO2 emissions, rivaled only by the Ohio River Valley. These emissions sources are concentrated in specific industrial clusters that allow combining emissions streams to achieve economies of scale. The region is currently undergoing globally significant industrial expansion and investment as a result of abundant and inexpensive regional unconventional natural gas availability, and is a growing exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Opportunities to integrate CO2 emission management within the diverse energy chains in the region are volumetrically significant and include both concentrated and dilute sources. Significant examples of capture, transport, and storage exist. Offshore storage is particularly attractive, as it provides simplified land leasing models (single governmental land owner), proven reservoir quality, and presents fewer risks to both protected groundwater and populated areas. Projects can now take advantage of recently expanded opportunities under section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Service tax code. The region continues to evolve as an active carbon-handling hub, and is uniquely suited to justify additional investment in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies via a large-scale integrated project development. Continued development of integrated projects will allow the region to continue to grow economically within its strong fossil-fuel handling competence focus while advancing low-carbon energy technologies that maintain globally competitiveness.