This study identifies industrial CCS as a potential source of negative emissions in Louisiana, with the right policy changes. In Louisiana, industrial carbon emissions, driven primarily by refining and petrochemical production activities, account for 54 percent of all CO2 emissions relative to a U.S. industrial average of only 17 percent.
The report suggests that industrial CCS may offer a lower-cost alternative to power generation-based capture activities since industrial processes can often remove carbon from non-combustion exhaust streams with higher CO2 concentrations and pressures. Industrial CCS, however, is expensive.
The South Louisiana industrial corridor is uniquely-situated to sustain an industrial CCS project. The region has a large number and wide variety of carbon emissions sources that could be tapped for an integrated CCS project. This study conducts an initial emissions screening analysis by identifying the top ten industrial carbon emission sources, six of which are in close proximity to one another in the South Louisiana industrial corridor. These six industrial locations, in total, account for as much as 24 metric tons of carbon emissions or 30 percent of the statewide total. The next step in this analysis focuses on identifying geological formations that could safely and cost-effectively store large CO2 volumes. Finally, the report identifies the missing money required to make these hypothetical projects pencil out.