Close to one hundred landowners and residents of surrounding communities gathered at the Greene County Fairgrounds yesterday (Wednesday) to hear from the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) and Summit Carbon Solutions LLC on the proposed hazardous liquid pipeline. Four Summit Carbon representatives presented on the project’s impact on communities, the details of the overall construction, landowner compensation, and protection and safety. Vice President of Government Affairs for Summit Carbon Jake Ketzner says the capture, transport, and sequestration of CO2 will open new markets for Iowa farmers.
Ketzner explained that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is jet fuel made from ethanol but must meet strict carbon standards to qualify. By capturing carbon and producing lower-carbon products, Iowa ethanol facilities can enter the SAF market, which is expected to be six times larger than the current ethanol market. Kylie Lang, Iowa project manager for Summit Carbon, says Greene County will have 26.9 miles of an eight-inch pipeline connecting the POET Bioprocessing plant near Menlo to the Coon Rapids plant.
Lang says that before any CO2 is transported through the pipeline, a stress test will be completed by filling the lines with water, pressuring them to 125 percent of maximum operating pressure and held at that level for eight hours. JD Myers, Ag Relationship Manager, said there will be compensation if the pipeline is constructed on landowners’ property.
Drainage tile lines will be repaired, replaced, and warrantied for the pipeline’s lifetime if needed during construction. Addressing safety concerns, David Daum, Senior Director of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE), says there are currently 90 miles of gas pipeline in Greene County and emphasizes that safety is a number one priority at Summit.
Other positives mentioned by Summit Carbon Solutions would be the support to the local community. Estimated financial benefits would be the $1,759,000 paid annually in property taxes, with approximately 47 percent going to local schools. Summit Carbon is also expected to increase corn prices by $1 per bushel with a 15 to 25 percent rise in ethanol production, increasing the value of ethanol by $1.25 to $2+ per gallon. The presentation followed with a question-and-answer session, with landowners asking primarily about property insurance, a recent CO2 pipeline explosion in Satartia, Miss., and the eminent domain process. The full audio from the question-and-answer portion of the meeting is included below. The IUC announced Wednesday the approval of the phase one permit, as Summit Carbon has complied with the requirements IUC’s June 25 order. Summit Carbon is looking to apply for phase two, which includes route extensions this fall, with potential construction and operation set to begin in 2026.
Q&A session: (1:20:59 in length)
