A new plan for the development of transportation and sequestration solutions, has been started by CTV. This plan aims to create solutions which are capable of handling an estimated one million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, this equipment will be dedicated to capturing emissions from an area in California, Kern County, specifically National Cement’s plant in Lebec.

Currently, it is anticipated that this project will become California's first net-zero cement facility, which is a major milestone for both the country and for the carbon capture industry. This facility will have the ability to perform tasks such as, ‘integrating carbon capture technology, locally sourced biomass fuel from agricultural byproducts, and producing limestone calcined clay cement (LC3).’ Throughout operations, it is expected that capture carbon dioxide will be safely transported and securely stored within CTV’s underground storage reservoirs. Doing all of this will ultimately result in the project contributing to California’s industrial decarbonisation efforts.

Further to this, it has been revealed that including this new contract CTV’s total number of CCS projects under consideration has made it to almost 9 MMTPA of carbon dioxide emissions. This emphasises the company’s position as a domestic leader, especially when it comes to industrial decarbonisation, as well as carbon storage solutions.

On top of this, the work the company is doing, led the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to select it as one of thirty-three projects they would provide finding to. This funding would be supplied through the Industrial Demonstrations Program and it would be done as a public-private partnership. It has been agreed that the DOE would commit a maximum of $500 million in matching funds, in order to accelerate the project’s development. Once pending customary approvals have gone through, operations are expected to commence in 2031.

President and Chief Executive Officer of CRC, Francisco Leon, commented, “This MOU with National Cement underscores the increasing demand for innovative decarbonization solutions within California’s industrial sector. Achieving carbon neutrality in the cement industry requires bold action, and this partnership is a critical step in developing the state’s first carbon capture, transport, and storage project for this essential sector. We have a proven carbon management expertise and strategically located CO2 storage assets, allowing us to deliver innovative, reliable, and economically viable energy transition solutions.”

Chief Executive Officer of National Cement, Eric Holard, mentioned, “This is an exciting and transformative project for the cement industry. We are making a significant investment because we believe in creating a cleaner future and bringing innovation to domestic manufacturing. CTV’s leadership in safe and responsible carbon management, combined with our strategic and operational alignment, provides a clear pathway for this project being successful.”