Wolf Carbon Solutions announced on Monday that it has withdrawn its petition with Iowa regulators for a carbon dioxide pipeline project spanning from Cedar Rapids to Illinois. The proposed pipeline, covering about 95 miles in four counties, was intended to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol producers in Cedar Rapids and Clinton for underground storage in Illinois.
The company cited several factors for the delay in its project but did not specify what they are. Wolf is the second company to abandon a permit request for a carbon dioxide pipeline system in Iowa, with Navigator CO2 also halting its project last year. Opponents of these pipelines have raised concerns about safety, the use of eminent domain, and enriching investors with federal tax credits. Proponents argue that the pipelines would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the ethanol industry.
Summit Carbon Solutions is the remaining company with pipeline plans in Iowa and North Dakota for transporting carbon dioxide for underground storage. The company has expanded its project to include over 2,500 miles of pipe across five states. Summit recently reapplied for a permit in South Dakota after facing initial opposition.
Wolf Carbon Solutions had pledged not to use eminent domain for its project and claimed to have built relationships with landowners and stakeholders. However, the use of eminent domain for pipelines remains a contentious issue in Iowa, with court challenges ongoing. The withdrawal of Wolf’s permit request marks another development in the ongoing debate over carbon dioxide pipelines in the Midwest.
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