full steam ahead

Houston-based energy transition company to build innovative power, steam facility in Illinois

A Houston-based energy transition project developer announced its $1 billion project to provide cleaner energy to an Illinois-based agribusiness company. Photo via warwickcs.com

Broadwing Energy, a subsidiary of Houston-based energy transition company Warwick Carbon Solutions, is building a more than $1 billion natural gas facility in Illinois that’ll supply power for agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland and simultaneously reduce carbon emissions.

Construction is expected to start in 2025 and wrap up in 2028.

The natural gas plant will provide both electricity and steam for ADM’s processing operations in Decatur, Illinois, which consist of three facilities across more than 1,100 acres. CO2 “scrubbing” technology installed at the power plant will capture carbon emissions, which will then be kept in ADM carbon storage wells.

ADM’s products include citric acid, lactic acid, xanthan gum, dextrose, sorbitol, corn syrup, and ethanol.

Warwick says the power plant holds the potential to permanently remove more than two million tons of CO2 emissions per year. In addition, it will create about 1,000 construction jobs and two dozen permanent jobs.

Broadwing says the plant will net roughly 350 megawatts of lower-emission power to help decarbonize the industrial, transportation, and electricity sectors. ADM will buy about 95 megawatts of that power for its Decatur operations.

“This project will serve as a model for others to follow as we work toward decarbonizing our economy and the world,” says Jonathan Wiens, CEO of Warwick.

The Decatur project was announced in 2021.

Warwick Carbon Solutions’ equity backer is London-based investment firm Warwick Capital Partners, which opened a Houston office last year. Founded in 2010, Warwick Capital has about $2.5 billion in assets under management.

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A View From HETI

Chevron will power the forthcoming Project Kilby using natural gas. Photo via Getty Images

Chevron and Microsoft have signed a 20-year deal in which Chevron will provide natural-gas-fired power for a future West Texas data center, known as Project Kilby.

The proposed Microsoft data center could be one of the biggest in the U.S. and is expected to deliver 2.67 gigawatts of capacity. It will be built through a “phased, modular approach that enables incremental expansion over time,” according to Chevron.

Chevron expects the facility to be up and running by 2028, though the company won’t make a final investment decision on the project until later this year. The company is collaborating on Project Kilby with investment fund Engine No.1.

Project Kilby is projected to bring in $10 billion in state and local tax revenue and support 2,000 jobs, according to Chevron. The plant will use non-potable, brackish groundwater for power plant operations and aims to find new ways to reuse water produced by oil and gas operations.

The site will use selective catalytic reduction systems to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and minimize noise and light impacts and will utilize other advanced air emissions control technologies. A majority of the generation will come from large turbines developed by Chevron partner GE Verona with additional capacity from Caterpillar’s solar turbines. The plant will be fed by natural gas from the Permian Basin.

“Chevron is uniquely positioned to deliver power to customers with certainty, speed and at a competitive cost, leveraging Permian natural gas and our proven execution capabilities,” Jeff Gustavson, Chevron president of new energies, said in a news release. “This project links Chevron’s traditional strengths to emerging demand, creating differentiated value for our shareholders and the communities where we operate.”

According to BloombergNEF, the U.S. is expected to increase its data center capacity to 77 gigawatts by 2030. Another report from Bloom Energy predicts Texas will see a 142 percent increase in its market share for data centers from 2025 to 2028.

“The rapid growth we’re experiencing in AI and cloud, driven by customer demand, requires energy infrastructure that can scale quickly and reliably,” Noelle Walsh, Microsoft president of cloud operations and innovation, added in the news release. “Our agreement with Chevron helps ensure we’ll have dedicated, large-scale power to support the evolution and reliability of advanced computers. Through this partnership, we’re delighted to grow with and become a deeper part of the West Texas community.”

Chevron was named No. 21 on the 2026 Fortune 500 list earlier this month.

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