On August 6, 2024, FECM, in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Loan Programs Office, hosted an Appalachia Regional Deploy Dialogue focused on industrial decarbonization.
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
September 9, 2024
minute read time
On August 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE’s) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the Loan Programs Office, hosted an Appalachia Regional Deploy Dialogue focused on industrial decarbonization. Held during the 2024 FECM-NETL Carbon Management Research Project Review Meeting, or Carbon Management Week, in Pittsburgh, PA, this dialogue brought together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss the deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies in Appalachia’s industries, including steel, cement, chemicals, pulp and paper, glass, and lime. Regional industrial and energy companies also provided insights into key barriers and potential solutions for advancing industrial carbon capture in Appalachia.
Delivering a Clean Energy Future
Representatives from DOE opened the regional dialogue by highlighting the pivotal moment facing energy and carbon-intensive industrial sectors. The U.S. industrial sector produces essential materials and products Americans rely on, many of which are also crucial for achieving a clean energy future. Examples include steel and aluminum for automobiles and renewable energy generation; cement and concrete for buildings and infrastructure; pulp and paper for packaged goods; and chemicals for fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and plastics.
However, these sectors are at a critical inflection point as the United States increasingly focuses on accelerating deep decarbonization. In 2022, DOE released a “Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap,” that outlines a phased research, development, and demonstration agenda for industry and government. It focuses on five of the highest CO2-emitting industries where industrial decarbonization technologies can have the greatest impact across the nation: petroleum refining, chemicals, iron and steel, cement, and food and beverage. And carbon capture, use, and storage is one of the four key pathways highlighted in the roadmap.
“Industrial decarbonization is critical to everything we do. At DOE, we’ve broadened our approach to carbon management, applying our toolkit across the entire industrial value chain,” said Noah Deich, Senior Advisor, FECM. “The National Energy Technology Laboratory—which has facilities in both Pittsburgh, PA and Morgantown, WV—plays a pivotal role within this ecosystem, providing significant opportunities to shape the trajectory of industrial decarbonization.”
Advancing Research and Development
Achieving net-zero emissions in these sectors would be nearly impossible without the deployment of carbon capture, removal, conversion, and transport and storage technologies. These technologies capture carbon dioxide from industrial facilities, transport it, and either store it underground or convert it into useful products, helping reduce the overall carbon footprint of industrial facilities.
DOE is drawing on its extensive experience in carbon management to engage and support a wide range of stakeholders in the development of specific regional-scale projects. For example, FECM recently announced the selection of nine university and industry-led projects to receive $44.5 million to advance commercial-scale carbon capture, transport, and storage across the United States. FECM also selected 14 projects to receive $8 million to advance technologies that capture carbon dioxide from industrial facilities and power plants and convert those emissions into valuable products.
“A decarbonized economy requires strategies that address the production of emissions associated with industrial processes. With a diverse research and development portfolio, DOE has the tools to help make a significant impact regionally, in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders who are central to these efforts,” explained Sarah Forbes, Director to the Office of Carbon Management Technologies, FECM.
Diving Deeper into the Regional Dialogue
During the dialogue, a series of questions guided professionally-facilitated discussion on advancing and deploying carbon management technologies in the region’s industries. These questions included:
- What are some barriers specific to deploying carbon capture in the industrial sector in Appalachia?
- What solutions are particularly suited to overcoming these barriers in Appalachia?
- What strategies and mechanisms can ensure that economic benefits and jobs from investments remain in Appalachia?
During the discussion, participants emphasized that the successful implementation of carbon capture relies on the efficient flow of materials, energy, and resources across the value chain. Several barriers were identified, including the lack of transport and storage infrastructure, technologies that support smaller-scale capture and storage, geologic characterization and data, access to clean electricity, technologies to reduce electricity requirements, and necessary infrastructure.
Attendees noted that supporting the deployment of carbon management technologies requires scalable policy incentives, such as the 45Q tax credit, which could be tailored to meet the needs of specific regions over time. As projects progress, costs, technological requirements, and potential benefits will vary by location due to differences in infrastructure, industry presence, and geologic storage options. To ensure that carbon capture and storage remains viable and appealing to industry, adjusting tax and other policy incentives as technology matures and more projects come online will be essential, both in Appalachia and across the United States.
The importance of community engagement was also underscored as critical for the long-term success of these projects. Building trust, transparency, and collaboration with communities in Appalachia is vital to addressing local concerns and ensuring that communities benefit from projects. This comprehensive approach should include educational outreach, workshops, regular community meetings, and public relations campaigns to effectively communicate the safety and benefits of decarbonization efforts.
Background + Stay Tuned for More Information!
This regional dialogue was a part of the broader ‘Deploy Dialogue’ series launched by the Loan Programs Office last year at Deploy23. The dialogue set the scene with insights from national laboratory and program experts, incorporating material from FECM’s new “Appalachia Regional Report: Building a Clean Energy Economy and the Supporting Role of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management,” DOE’s “Industrial Decarbonization Commercial Liftoff Report,” and other related research material.
DOE’s Loan Programs Office released a meeting summary, offering a more detailed overview of the themes addressed throughout the dialogue.
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