Shelbyville advances annexation for POET ethanol carbon sequestration project

Shelbyville, Indiana moved a step closer to a major carbon capture and sequestration project. The Common Council voted 6-0 to advance a voluntary annexation of about 97 acres tied to a DTE Vantage subsidiary and CSX Transportation, next to POET Bioprocessing Shelbyville. The project would capture CO2 from ethanol fermentation, compress it, move it through a short pipeline, and inject it more than 3,800 feet underground into the Mount Simon sandstone formation. The annexation only changes zoning to general industrial. The project still needs an EPA underground injection control permit before any CO2 can be stored. DTE says it has completed seismic testing and a test well, and expects to respond to EPA questions within 45 days. Residents raised concerns about groundwater, property rights, and emergency response during the public hearing. The plan commission will hold another public hearing on Sept. 28 before the proposal returns to the Common Council. DTE expects to invest about $100 million in the sequestration side, and POET has announced a separate $200 million expansion.