Hoeven: DOE Awards Nearly $10 Million for Final Phase of Project Tundra Design

Senator Advanced FY2020 Funding for CCUS In Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Department of Energy has awarded funding to advance carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) projects in North Dakota. As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked to secure funding in FY 2019 for DOE’s CCUS programs. The funding awarded today includes:

· Project Tundra - $9.8 million to fund the final phrase of the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study for Project Tundra, a post-combustion technology to retrofit existing power plants, being led by Minnkota Power and the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environment Research Center (EERC), as well as BNI Coal and Allete Clean Energy. To date, Hoeven has helped secure approximately $26 million to advance Project Tundra.

· PCOR Partnership - $5 million from the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSP) for the EERC to advance the Plains Carbon Dioxide Reduction (PCOR) Partnership Initiative, which is working to accelerate deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies.

“North Dakota is leading the way in developing CCUS technologies and these funds will help to advance these efforts, including enabling the completion Project Tundra’s engineering and design study,” said Hoeven. “Completion of this study will enable the implementation of the technology at the Milton R. Young Station, allowing up to 90 percent of CO₂ emissions to be captured from the station’s Unit 2 generator. Developing and deploying this technology is a win both for consumers, who will continue to have access to affordable energy, and for environmental stewardship.”

“Project Tundra is a unique opportunity for North Dakota to lead the world in the advancement of carbon capture technologies,” said Mac McLennan, Minnkota President & CEO. “That vision wouldn’t be possible without the steadfast leadership of Senator Hoeven. He has been a believer in Project Tundra from Day 1 and has helped us through each phase of the research and evaluation process. This Department of Energy grant will assist us in completing advanced research and engineering design on the project – one of the final steps before deciding whether to move forward and begin construction.”

“Senator Hoeven’s continued leadership in sustaining federal investment in the RCSP program enables continuity of the PCOR Partnership’s leadership toward economically viable CO2 management. This is embodied in the maturation of efforts such as Project Tundra,” said John Harju, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the EERC.

Last month, Hoeven arranged a visit to the EERC by the Department of Energy (DOE) officials who oversee the DOE’s Fossil Energy programs. The senator stressed the need to provide Project Tundra adequate funding to finish its Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study and ensure timely support through the Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) initiative, and he continues pressing these priorities with the DOE.

Additionally, Hoeven is also working to advance Fiscal Year 2020 funding for CCUS project in the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which was approved by the Committee earlier this week. The FY2020 funding bill:

· Maintains funding for the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) program, supporting the Plains CO₂ Reduction Partnership (PCOR) led by the EERC.

· Provides increased funding for DOE’s Carbon Capture and Carbon Storage programs, including $30 million for CarbonSAFE. The program supports the development of commercial-scale CO2 storage facilities, an essential element of Project Tundra and Red Trail’s efforts.

· Includes $20 million for enhanced oil recovery technology.

Further, the legislation contains the following Hoeven-sponsored measures:

· Supporting DOE’s cooperative agreements with institutions like the EERC, helping to maintain the organization’s work with the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

· Expanding the RCSP’s CCUS work into multi-year public-private partnerships.

· Promoting design-related work on a CO₂ capture plant.

· Advancing the creation of a Fossil Energy Advisory Committee.

· Encouraging DOE to support coals-to-fuels research and development.

· Providing at least $7 million for carbon capture research for natural gas power systems.

· Supporting research by universities, small businesses and industry to develop new higher efficiency gas turbines.

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