North Dakota regulators approved a permit for Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon capture pipeline, a key step in the company’s plan to build what it says would be the world’s largest carbon capture project.

The Public Service Commission’s unanimous vote marked a reversal from a 2023 denial and was a significant victory for Summit. The company’s revised route plan was crucial in securing the approval.

The 333-mile pipeline in North Dakota is part of a larger 2,500-mile network that will connect 57 ethanol plants, including Tharaldson Ethanol in Casselton, to a carbon storage site west of Bismarck. 

While supporters argue the project is essential for the ethanol industry’s competitiveness in low-carbon fuel markets, opponents raise concerns about safety, potential damage to farmland as well as property values, and rights infringements.

Environmental groups, such as the Dakota Resource Council, contend that the project’s potential harm outweighs its benefits.

While the approval is good news for Summit, it still faces hurdles, including securing a permit in South Dakota, where a previous application was denied. The company also needs a separate storage permit from the North Dakota Industrial Commission and to obtain voluntary property easements from landowners.

The project’s potential for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a process involving injecting carbon dioxide into oil wells to boost production, has also drawn attention. However, Summit CEO Lee Blank has stated that no oil companies have expressed interest in using carbon dioxide from the pipeline for this purpose.