Ethanol fuel producer Green Plains (NASDAQ: GPRE) has announced significant progress on its Advantage Nebraska carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) strategy, with all rights of way acquired and lateral construction underway.
The initiative is on track for operational status in the second half of 2025, positioning the company as a pioneer in producing low-carbon ethanol through CCS in the United States, according to a statement on Thursday.
Green Plains plans to permanently sequester 800,000 tons of biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) annually across its Nebraska facilities in Central City, Wood River, and York, with capacity scalable to 1.2 million tons per year.
“We are very pleased with the progress that Tallgrass has made on the Trailblazer CCS project,” said Todd Becker, Green Plains’ president and CEO. “With rights of way secured, permits issued, and compression infrastructure construction set to begin in February, we are firmly on schedule.”
This aligns with the introduction of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit by the U.S. Department of Treasury, offering substantial benefits for carbon reduction initiatives.
The recently updated 45Z GREET model highlights additional advantages for U.S. corn ethanol producers, including a 32-point reduction in carbon intensity (CI) scores through CCS.
Relevant: Green Plains Announces Updates On Nebraska Carbon Capture Project
Renewable corn oil (distillers corn oil, or DCO) emerges as a superior feedstock for renewable diesel production, offering a 25-point CI advantage over soybean oil.
The model also reduces penalties for indirect land use change associated with corn, while penalizing imported used cooking oil (UCO) over domestic alternatives.
“Our carbon capture strategy continues to gain momentum, and we are now even closer to being operational across our 287 million gallon Nebraska footprint,” Becker said.
With the 45Z guidance now in place, Green Plains is confident that Advantage Nebraska is “the right course of action.”
By sequestering biogenic carbon and cutting its ethanol CI by more than half, the company believes it can deliver significant value to its shareholders while leading the way in low-carbon fuel production.
Green Plains also plans to leverage its low-CI feedstocks for emerging markets such as alcohol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), ensuring its leadership in the evolving clean energy landscape.
Read more: New Study Shows Carbon Capture Adds More CO2 In Ethanol Industry
