Red Trail Energy, LLC (RTE), in collaboration with Puro.earth, has created a pioneering moment in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) by issuing the first ever Carbon Dioxide Removal Certificates (CORCs) for an ethanol production facility. This marks the most significant durable carbon removal project registered to date, with RTE set to market its CORCs through RPMG.
Working alongside EcoEngineers, a clean energy advisory firm, RTE successfully met the Puro Standard, which is recognized as the leading platform for engineered carbon removal credit systems. The issuance of CORCs is a result of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology used in RTE's ethanol production. Compliance with the Puro’s Geologically Stored Carbon Methodology was ensured after RTE underwent rigorous independent verification, affirming its commitment to feedstock sustainability, carbon sequestration permanence, and financial additionality.
RTE's ethanol facility sequesters CO2 from the fermentation process by injecting it into an underground Class VI well, located approximately 6,500 feet below the facility. This sequestration process, now certified by the issuance of CORCs, offers companies an option to offset their emissions and move closer to net-zero targets.
Jodi Johnson, the CEO of Red Trail Energy, stated, “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.”
With the assistance of EcoEngineers, RTE received over 150,000 CO2 Removal Certificates accounting for the first 14 months of BECCS operation. David LaGreca, EcoEngineers’ Managing Director of VCM Services, highlighted the infancy of engineered carbon removal and the associated risks, emphasizing the importance of high-quality removals programs such as that of RTE.
Antti Vihavainen, CEO of Puro.earth, remarked on the significance of this large-scale credit issuance, stating that it is a major step towards scaling carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to levels significant enough to have a climate impact.
The CORCs issued by Puro.earth are designed to represent over 1,000 years of carbon sequestration durability, addressing the crucial environmental criterion of permanence. To maintain transparency, the CORCs are recorded in the ICROA-endorsed Puro Registry, which tracks their entire lifecycle from issuance to retirement.
RTE, which operates a 64 million-gallon-per-year corn ethanol production facility, not only captures biogenic CO2 from its fermentation process but also implements continuous measures to ensure the reduction of the fossil footprint of its biofuel product. This includes energy efficiency and sustainable agricultural practices.
