Carbon capture and storage

First-of-its-kind, DOE-backed plant coming to Houston area

Houston power company Calpine announced plans to build the Baytown Carbon Capture and Storage Project, a carbon capture demonstration facility that aims to capture carbon dioxide from the Baytown Energy Center. Photo via DOE

The first full-scale implementation of carbon capture and storage technology at a natural gas combined cycle power plant in the U.S. is coming to Baytown.

Houston power company Calpine announced plans to build the Baytown Carbon Capture and Storage Project (Baytown CCS Project), which is a carbon capture demonstration facility that aims to capture carbon dioxide from the Baytown Energy Center (BEC). The BEC is a natural gas combined-cycle power plant in Baytown.

The Department of Energy recently announced that it will share in the cost of up to $270 million on the Baytown project. The DOE revealed more details on the project on its website.

The project aims to utilize Shell’s CANSOLV point-source technology to capture up to 2 million metric tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 450,000 gasoline-powered cars. In addition, the project plans to sequester the CO2 in saline storage sites on the Gulf Coast.

Evaluating the use of greywater cooling to minimize freshwater consumption by reusing wastewater, the project’s primary power and steam off-taker Covestro hopes to prove “technologies that showcase the benefits of decarbonized process heat and electricity in the industrial sector,” according to a news release.

In December of 2023, Calpine was selected by the Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations for a cost-sharing agreement for a commercial-scale carbon capture and storage project.

"This is a critical step towards decarbonizing Calpine’s facility, which is located on our Covestro Baytown site,” Demetri Zervoudis, Covestro head of operations for North America and Baytown site general manager, said in a previous news release. “Carbon capture and storage technology is an important tool for the chemical industry to reduce carbon emissions, and it is encouraging to see Calpine at the forefront of this transition.”

The Baytown Decarbonization Project was developed collaboratively with local stakeholders in East Houston. According to the company, the project has already incorporated community feedback into the project designs to reduce non-CO2 air pollutants and minimize the usage of freshwater. The company estimates creating 22-26 permanent jobs and 1,500,000 hours of construction jobs and has partnerships with minority-serving institutions.

“Carbon capture is an important technology for decarbonizing the electricity sector and the economy,” Thad Hill, CEO of Calpine Corp said in 2023 when the DOE decided to work with the CSS program. “Calpine is very grateful for the commitment and support for the project by our stakeholders.”

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A View From HETI

Meta has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the power generated by Enbridge's $900 million solar project near San Antonio. Photo via Getty Images.

Construction is underway on a new 600-megawatt solar project in Texas that will supply renewable energy to Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook, Instagram and other tech platforms.

Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., whose gas transmission and midstream operations are based in Houston, announced that Meta has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the power generated by its new $900 million solar project known as Clear Fork.

The clean energy developed at Clear Fork will be used to support Meta’s data center operations, according to a news release from Enbridge. Meta has had net-zero emissions across its operational portfolio since 2020, according to its 2024 environmental report. The company matches 100 percent of its data center usage with renewable energy.

"We are thrilled to partner with Enbridge to bring new renewable energy to Texas and help support our operations with 100% clean energy, " Urvi Parekh, Head of Global Energy at Meta, said in a news release.

The Clear Fork project is expected to be operational by the summer of 2027. It will join Enbridge’s first solar power project in Texas, Orange Grove, which was activated earlier this year, as well as the company’s Sequoia solar project, which is scheduled to go online in early 2026.

"Clear Fork demonstrates the growing demand for renewable power across North America from blue-chip companies who are involved in technology and data center operations," Matthew Akman, executive vice president of corporate strategy and president of power at Enbridge, said in the news release. "Enbridge continues to advance its world-class renewables development portfolio using our financial strength, supply chain reach and construction expertise under a low-risk commercial model that delivers strong competitive returns."

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