On August 29, 2014, EPA issued the first Class VI underground injection control permits to FutureGen Industrial Alliance Inc., of Jacksonville, Illinois.   Four permits were issued for injection wells for the purpose of the geological sequestration of carbon dioxide.  FutureGen proposes to capture CO2 from a coal fired power plant near Jacksonville, Illinois, purify the CO2 and put it under high pressure to turn it into a liquid, then transport it through an underground pipeline for approximately 30 miles to an underground injection well site.   Approximately 22 million metric tons of CO2 are proposed to be injected over the project’s twenty year lifespan.

According to information on the FutureGen Alliance company website, FutureGen Alliance CEO Ken Humphreys stated,  “The issuance of the permit is a major milestone that will allow FutureGen 2.0 to stay on track to develop the first ever commercial-scale, near-zero emissions coal-fueled power plant with integrated carbon capture and storage.”

For more information from EPA on these permits, please follow this link.