Red Trail Energy and Puro.earth Spearhead Carbon Removal in Ethanol Production

Key Takeaways

1. First Ethanol Facility to Generate CORCs: Red Trail Energy, LLC (RTE) partners with Puro.earth to issue the first Carbon Dioxide Removal Certificates (CORCs) from an ethanol production facility in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), marking a significant industry milestone.
2. Largest Durable Carbon Removal Project: RTE’s project has become the largest registered durable carbon removal initiative in the VCM, showcasing a major step forward in climate action.
3. Compliance with Puro Standard: Working with EcoEngineers, RTE successfully registered under the Puro Standard, adhering to stringent criteria for feedstock sustainability, carbon sequestration permanence, and financial additionality.
4. Significant CO2 Sequestration: RTE’s ethanol plant captures and stores CO2 in a deep underground well, contributing over 150,000 CO2 Removal Certificates to the market based on the first 14 months of operation.
5. Commitment to Sustainability and Innovation: The initiative underscores RTE’s dedication to environmental stewardship, setting new standards for sustainability within the ethanol industry.

A Groundbreaking Achievement in Bioenergy

Red Trail Energy, LLC (RTE), in collaboration with Puro.earth, has achieved a pioneering milestone by issuing the first CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) for an ethanol production facility in the voluntary carbon market. This accomplishment highlights RTE’s innovation and establishes it as a leader in carbon removal within the bioenergy sector.

Advancing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

RTE’s project, verified under the Puro Standard, demonstrates the practical application of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology in ethanol production. The company captures CO2 from its fermentation process and securely stores it underground, a method that not only reduces atmospheric CO2 but also supports companies in achieving net-zero emissions through CORCs.

“We have not only achieved a groundbreaking milestone as one of the first bioenergy facilities with BECCS but have also emerged as pioneers in bringing verified CDR credits to the market,” said Jodi Johnson, CEO of Red Trail Energy. This initiative, she adds, “strengthens our position in the ethanol industry and sets a new standard for sustainability and innovation.”

Recognition and Potential of Carbon Removal Credits

With over 150,000 CORCs issued from just the first 14 months of operation, the project underscores the potential of engineered carbon removal in addressing climate challenges. David LaGreca of EcoEngineers emphasized the importance of high-quality removal programs like RTE’s in the broader context of global carbon budget constraints and the essential role of the VCM in making such projects viable.

Antti Vihavainen, CEO of Puro.earth, regards this as “the largest durable carbon removal credit issuance to date in the VCM,” underscoring the significance of RTE’s project in scaling CDR efforts to meet climate goals. The CORCs issued represent more than a thousand years of carbon sequestration durability, ensuring the permanence of these environmental efforts.

RTE’s Sustainable Ethanol Production

RTE, a 64 million-gallon-per-year corn ethanol producer, has integrated CCS into its operations, capturing and storing biogenic CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This proactive approach not only enhances the sustainability of biofuel but also sets a precedent for the industry in leveraging carbon removal credits to offset operational costs and invest in green technology.