Developers of clean technology, Climeworks and Heirloom, and Battelle have been issued with a Notification of Selection from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a proposal for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs program.
With plans to be in Southwest Louisiana, the Project Cypress DAC Hub has been designed to accelerate the commercialization of Direct Air Capture and Storage (DAC+S) – a technology which will verifiably remove CO2 from the atmosphere before it is stored underground.
“Project Cypress is precisely the kind of program that brings together the many facets of work we do at Battelle,” said Matt Vaughan, EVP of applied science and technology, Battelle. “Our expertise in both large-project management and carbon sequestration during the past two decades positioned us to lead this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
By receiving Notification of Selection from the DOE, the project can proceed with negotiations and awards. Battelle is tasked with being the prime contractor for the project, which is scheduled to start in late 2023. Furthermore, Gulf Coast Sequestration – a local carbon storage company – will partner with Project Cypress to sequester the captured CO2.
“Carbon capture opens a new era of energy and manufacturing dominance for Louisiana. It is the future of job creation and economic development for our state,” said Dr. Bill Cassidy, US Senator from Louisiana. “It’s for this reason that I wrote the original Direct Air Capture Hub program and ensured its inclusion in the infrastructure bill. As these projects move forward today, we are excited that both the companies involved, and the Department of Energy recognize the future of American energy and manufacturing lay in Louisiana.”
Shawn Bennett, energy and resilience division manager, Battelle, added, “It is important to bring Direct Air Capture projects to fruition across the country as a method of bridging to a future that greatly reduces the amount of legacy carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.”
“The Notification of Selection underscores Heirloom’s potential to safely and permanently remove CO2 from the air at megaton scale, in collaboration with our Project Cypress partners, the Biden administration, and the State of Louisiana,” said Max Scholten, head of commercialization, Heirloom. “Project Cypress’s success will be measured through the jobs we create and the benefits we shape with communities in our new home of Louisiana.”