Spiritwood  (Midwest AgEnergy) – Midwest AgEnergy Group (MAG), the parent company to ethanol biorefineries, Blue Flint, near Underwood and Dakota Spirit, near Spiritwood, announced it is taking the next step in a feasibility level study on Carbon Capture and Storage.

The Blue Flint Ethanol facility near Underwood, ND purchases about 25 million bushels of corn and produces over 70 million gallons of ethanol along with about 200,000 tons of dry distillers grains each year. It also produces about 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

The company is investigating the potential to capture the CO2 from the plant and safely sequester it from the atmosphere. Geologic Storage is the process of injecting CO2 captured from an industrial or energy-related source into deep subsurface rock formations for long-term storage.

This is part of a process frequently referred to as “carbon capture and storage” or CCS. Preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere will decrease the carbon intensity of ethanol fuel produced at the facility. The project could also create federal income tax credits for investors.