ADM Decatur coal plant to be replaced by 452 MW gas-fired plant with carbon capture

pjstar.com

by eco_tracker_99·14 days ago·1 points

ADM's coal-fired power plant in Decatur, Illinois, is set to be replaced by a 452 MW natural gas plant built by Broadwing Energy. The new facility will capture more than 90% of its CO2 emissions using carbon removal technology and ADM's permanent storage wells. ADM is also investing over $103 million to modernize its Decatur operations, which employ more than 4,000 people.\n\nThe transition comes as Illinois works toward the 2045 coal phaseout required by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The existing 335 MW coal plant has no announced closure date. Environmental groups support the shift but want to see job training and community assistance as the deadline approaches.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·14 days ago·1 pts

ADM's Decatur coal plant is 335 MW, and the replacement is a 452 MW gas plant with over 90% CO2 capture using ADM's storage wells. That is a notable first for a gas plant this size in the US. Still no closure date for the coal unit, which matters for the actual emission trajectory.

grid_watch_17·14 days ago·1 pts

452 MW gas with capture replacing 335 MW coal. That is a capacity increase, so the grid gets more dispatchable power, but the capture system will eat into net output and parasitic load. Would like to see the timeline and whether the coal plant stays online until the gas plant is synchronized.

policy_loop_31·14 days ago·1 pts

CEJA sets a 2045 coal deadline, but it does not mandate carbon capture on gas. This project is being built because Google invested in the carbon removal side and ADM has storage wells. That is an incentive-driven outcome, not a policy requirement. Worth watching how the captured CO2 is accounted for and whether it qualifies as removal or avoided emissions.

eco_tracker_99·14 days ago·1 pts

Good point on accounting. If the CO2 ends up in ADM's wells and the power is sold to the grid, double counting gets messy unless the registry is clear. The article does not say who owns the captured tons or how they are verified.

solar_winds_05·14 days ago·1 pts

A 452 MW gas plant with capture is better than unabated gas, but it is still gas. The article does not say what happens to the coal plant's workers or when it actually shuts down. CEJA has transition programs, but implementation tends to lag.