CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US – Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) and Wolf Carbon Solutions LLC announced on Jan. 11 the signing of a letter of intent that paves the way for further decarbonization of ADM’s footprint via construction of a pipeline — developed, owned and operated by Wolf Carbon Solutions — which, together with a commercial agreement, will allow for the capture, compression and transportation of carbon dioxide produced at ADM’s Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US, facilities.

Designed as the backbone infrastructure needed to support the region’s lower carbon transition, the 350-mile steel trunk line will be capable of transporting 12 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. The pipeline will offer dedicated capacity to transport CO₂ from ADM’s ethanol and cogeneration facilities in Clinton and Cedar Rapids to be stored permanently underground at ADM’s fully permitted and already-operational sequestration site in Decatur, Illinois. The pipeline would have significant spare capacity to serve other third-party customers looking to decarbonize across the Midwest and Ohio River Valley.

“This partnership is an excellent example of industries working together to decarbonize and deliver upon their ESG strategies and commitments,” said David Schmunk, president, Wolf Carbon Solutions. “Our organizations offer a great combination of complementary skills and experience — ADM with more than 10 years of experience owning and operating CO₂ sequestration wells, and the Wolf Carbon Solutions team with expertise in owning and operating carbon capture facilities and pipeline transportation systems, including North America’s largest third-party CO₂ pipeline in Alberta, Canada. We are delighted to share our expertise to further the effort to develop low carbon fuels in the US.”

ADM’s carbon capture and sequestration capabilities in Decatur have allowed it to safely and permanently store more than 3.5 million tonnes of CO₂ a mile and a half under the surface of the earth, and have paved the way for increased decarbonization of the company’s operations, including its announcements in 2021 of a partnership to construct a zero-emissions power plant adjacent to the company’s Decatur corn complex, and its achievement of the wheat milling industry’s first carbon-neutral footprint.

“ADM is continuing to lead the way to decarbonize the industries in which we operate,” said Chris Cuddy, president, Carbohydrate Solutions for ADM. “Customers are increasingly turning to us to help them meet their Scope 3 emissions commitments with low carbon-intensity sustainable solutions. This is an exciting opportunity for ADM to connect some of our largest processing facilities with our carbon capture capabilities, advancing our work to significantly reduce our CO₂ emissions while delivering sustainable solutions for our customers. These efforts are core to our purpose, our culture and our growth, and we look forward to working with Wolf Carbon Solutions to finalize this agreement and further decarbonize our operations and our industry.”

Earlier this year, ADM announced plans to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 25% and its energy intensity by 15% by 2035, after successfully meeting goals set in 2011 ahead of schedule.