CEAC-2022-08-August

tion toward Britain’s target of making up to a quarter of the
power consumed in the country come from nuclear by 2050.
First Carbon Capture, Storage Project in ND
Up and Running
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The operators of an ethanol plant in
North Dakota say the state’s first carbon capture and storage
project is up and running.
Carbon emissions from Red Trail Energy’s plant near Richardton
are injected thousands of feet into the earth as a way to
combat climate change, as less carbon dioxide is emitted into
the atmosphere.
Red Trail CEO Gerald Bachmeier said that after six years of
research, development and investment, the company is celebrating
the achievement which “establishes a trail for other
industries in the state to follow.”
North Dakota’s Industrial Commission approved the project
last fall, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Gov. Doug Burgum, who leads the commission, has a goal of
making North Dakota carbon neutral by 2030, which involves
striking a balance between the carbon dioxide released from
within the state and the amount of emissions contained or
offset in some way.
Burgum has called the state’s rock formations as a “geologic
jackpot” for having the right elements for permanent carbon
dioxide storage. Researchers say the state’s rocks could store
as much as 250 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Red Trail
produces a small fraction of that amount each year, 180,000
tons.
Pattern Energy Acquires Energy Transmission
Line Project
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A California-based renewable
energy developer announced Monday, July 18, that it has
acquired a transmission line project that will link its massive
wind farms in east-central New Mexico with more populated
markets across the West.
Pattern Energy already has invested billions in its infrastructure
in New Mexico, and company officials said the SunZia
transmission line will enable access to more than 3,000 megawatts
of wind power that would be capable of meeting the
needs of more than 2.5 million people.
Permitting for the line has been in the works for years. Once
complete, the bi-directional high-voltage line will span 550
miles from New Mexico to Arizona.
Pattern Energy said it acquired the project from SouthWestern
Power Group, a subsidiary of MMR Group, Inc. The price
was not disclosed, but Pattern Energy said the transmission
line along with the planned SunZia wind farm would represent
an $8 billion investment.
Both projects are privately funded, according to Pattern
Energy.
Construction is expected to begin next year, with the transmission
line coming online in 2025 and the wind farm in
2026.
America’s Engineers Recognize EU’s Embrace
of Nuclear Technology as “Sustainable”
WASHINGTON — The following statement may be attributed
to Tom Costabile, executive director/CEO of the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), reacting to the
European Parliament’s recent vote to keep nuclear energy
technology in the European Commission’s Taxonomy of Sustainable
Activities.
“ASME recognizes the European Parliament’s decision to
keep nuclear energy in the European Commission’s Taxonomy
of Sustainable Activities. ASME’s standards and certification
programs for nuclear infrastructure help ensure the safe,
reliable generation of low-carbon energy. We also support
the development and deployment of advanced modular
reactor technology. ASME will continue to collaborate with
our European and global partners to ensure nuclear is a part
of the solution for a greener future.”
Idaho Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant Making
Progress
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A nuclear waste treatment plant in eastern
Idaho designed to treat 900,000 gallons of sodium-bearing,
radioactive waste that has had numerous setbacks
appears to be making progress, officials said.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently indicated that
the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the department’s
890-square-mile site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory
recently treated more than 100,000 gallons of simulant
over seven weeks.
“The plant has operated extremely well during this several-week
run,” Bill Kirby of the Idaho Environmental Coalition,
an Energy Department contractor, said in a statement.
“Our staff has done an outstanding job managing all facets
of the facility.”
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