The largest dry-mill ethanol facility in the United States will now be the world’s first carbon neutral industrial park as well.
Marquis Energy in Hennepin, IL, announced a plan to begin on-site carbon injection, a process that involves drilling into the sandstone underneath the facility.
Last week Marquis began drilling its first 5,000-foot test well to determine the total capacity available for carbon sequestration in the Mt. Simon Sandstone on its site.
The Marquis family will begin immediate development of the first of two 600 ton/day blue hydrogen and blue ammonia facilities, as well as manufacturing for carbon neutral bio-based chemicals and plastics.
The Marquis Industrial Park in Hennepin is a 2,500-acre industrial site with multiple natural gas lines, access to the electrical transmission grid, year-round river barge loading, interstate highway and Class 1 railroad.
In addition to the blue hydrogen and blue ammonia project, the plan includes a state-of-the-art soybean crushing facility to produce bio-based feedstocks for the production of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels.
"I'm excited about low-carbon solutions to the climate crisis, however, our government has failed to recognize ethanol’s value as part of the climate crisis solution," says Mark Marquis, CEO. "As a result, my family may reduce our exposure to the fuel-grade ethanol business."
