Tulare County Carbon Storage Project
The sole purpose of TCCSP is to develop a technically sound and environmentally responsible carbon capture and storage project to benefit the communities in California’s Central Valley.
About TCCSP
Central Valley is home to excellent geology and diverse industries that are looking to reach net zero by 2050 or sooner. TCCSP aims to permit, build, and operate the infrastructure required to realize such climate goals while maintaining the interests of local communities.
TCCSP is currently in early stages of geologic and community research and is funded by U.S. Department of Energy and Calgren Renewable Fuels, a local employer since 2008. Data and findings from this current phase will be used to build a solid technical and social foundation for future phases of the project.
TCCSP Environmental Impact
MILLION METRIC TONS
This project will capture at least 50 million metric tons of CO₂ that will be sequestered over 20 years or more.
BILLION TREES
This project will have the same impact as planting around 90.8 million trees each year- 1.82 billion trees over 20 years.
Under The Surface
Injection wells must be located to access sufficient geology to safely inject and store CO₂. While EPA does not mandate where wells must be located best practices dictate this such as:
- Sufficient depth to maintain CO₂ in a dense state
- Laterally continuous seal layer that is tight and impermeable
- Porous and permeable reservoir tight enough to contain CO₂
- Located away from high occupancy and protected areas
TCCSP is assessing seismic data and looking to drill a reserach well in the third quarter of 2024.
Committed to Community
Creating 100+ temporary jobs during construction and operation and 20+ high-quality, full-time jobs once fully operational.
Building local workforce capacity and capability through apprenticeship and internship opportunities.
Seeking input from local disadvantaged and under-represented communities for community benefits plans.
Encouraging minority, veteran, and women owned businesses to participate and bid for project services.
Project Sponsor
The Tulare County Carbon Storage Project is proudly sponsored by the US Department of Energy. For more details, visit the DOE/NETL project page.
Project Partners
TCCSP is made possible through the collaboration of leading carbon storage professionals and world-class research institutions. Our partners include:
- Calgren
- Advanced Resources International (ARI)
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Visage Clean Energy Consulting
- Livermore Lab Foundation
- Stanford University
Together, these organizations, alongside dozens of additional experts and contributors, are driving innovation in carbon capture, utilization, and storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you capture and store CO2?
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one way to minimize CO2 emissions and reduce the negative impacts caused by its release to the atmosphere such as increased surface temperatures due to an imbalance of the earth’s natural CO2 cycle. Moreover, in the state of California, technologies such as CCS help industries lower the carbon intensity (CI) score of their products which is just one measure of the environmental impact of their operations.
How do we know CSS is safe?
To ensure that CCS is safe, CO2 storage operators must research and provide evidence of the safety of injecting and storing CO2 prior to obtaining a permit to construct. An approved injection well and storage facility permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required for all CCS projects within the U.S. and includes regulations and best practices mandated by the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program to protect drinking water and ensure that CO2 is permanently stored. The injection and storage of CO2 is regulated under U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act.
How will the TCCSP Project specifically benefit the Pixley community?
TCCSP will bring several advantages to the Pixley community, such as creating local job opportunities in fields like construction, engineering, and maintenance. Additionally, the project will support school programs aimed at educating young people about climate change and its mitigation. The project team is also working to involve minority- and women-owned businesses.
What kind of research is taking place?
The project team has finished drilling the stratigraphic research well, TCCSP OBS 1, to a total depth of 9,620 feet. The subsurface geologic data gathered from the well includes more than 200 feet of rock core from the caprock and reservoir intervals, along with various rock and fluid samples necessary for testing both the reservoir and caprocks to assess their capacity and safety. Currently, geologists and engineers are analyzing this data on the potential storage complex to confirm its feasibility and safety for CCS.
How will the project's progress and outcomes be communicated to the community?
Through the TCCSP website as well as our periodic newsletters and community engagement workshops, the community will be able to stay informed on the project’s progress and outcomes. Although the project has no social media, the website will be updated regularly.
Integration with Other Calgren Systems
The Tulare County Carbon Capture and Storage Project will complete the circle between Calgren’s renewable technologies. Once operational, CO₂ from ethanol fermentation and RNG upgrading will be captured, transported, and stored deep underground. By adding carbon storage to our existing clean-energy systems, TCCSP represents the next step in reducing lifecycle emissions and advancing California’s low-carbon future.
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