US liquefaction plant developer NextDecade said it has launched a new unit to develop a carbon capture and storage project at its proposed Rio Grande LNG export plant in Texas.
NEXT Carbon Solutions’ CCS project could reduce permitted CO2 emissions at Rio Grande LNG by more than 90 percent without major design changes to the facility, according to NextDecade.
As a result, Rio Grande could become the “greenest LNG project in the world,” it said.
One of the largest CCS projects in North America would enable the capture and permanent geologic storage of more than five million tonnes of CO2 per year, NextDecade said.
“NEXT Carbon Solutions believes that developing the CCS project at the same time as the Rio Grande project will result in 60-80 percent less capital costs than retrofitting an operating LNG facility,” it said.
Moreover, all-in costs of the CCS project, including capital and operating expenses, interest, transportation, and permanent storage, would reach $63 to $74 per metric tonne of CO2 before any benefit from Section 45Q tax credits, it said.
Including the full benefit of Section 45Q tax credits, the breakeven cost of adding CCS to Rio Grande LNG is expected to be $13 to $24 per metric tonne of CO2 or $0.05 to $0.09 per MMBtu on an LNG basis, NextDecade said.
Raising cash
The US firm revealed in a separate statement it has agreed to sell $24.5 million of Series C Preferred Stock.
NextDecade issued the stock in a private placement to funds managed by York Capital Management, Avenue Capital Group, and Bardin Hill Investment Partners, it said.
Furthermore, the firm added it aims to use proceeds to finalize commercial agreements needed to achieve a final investment decision on Rio Grande LNG in 2021 but also on the new CCS project.
Announcing a “pricing refresh” deal with engineering giant Bechtel earlier this month, NextDecade said it anticipates achieving a final decision on a “minimum of two trains” at Rio Grande LNG this year.
The full-scope of the Rio Grande project includes five trains for a total capacity of 27 million tonnes per year.