Nebraska-based ADM (at its Columbus, Nebraska, corn-processing complex) recently made waves in the biofuels world thanks to an exciting new project. The company marked the operational start of a new carbon-capture and storage (CCS) project, now labeled the world’s largest bioethanol carbon-capture facility.
What makes this milestone even more compelling isn’t just its scale. It was how their CCS project was achieved.
The project harnesses an existing 400-mile natural-gas transmission line formerly used for fossil fuel transport. It has been retrofitted and retooled to carry captured CO₂ from multiple ethanol plants to underground sequestration deep in Wyoming.
By repurposing infrastructure rather than building completely new pipelines and systems, the companies involved drastically reduced costs, expedited timelines, and reframed what a “new” facility can look like in the sustainability era.
The pipeline in question is the Tallgrass Energy “Trailblazer” system. Formerly a natural-gas transmission line running through Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, it has been converted to transport CO₂ from an array of ethanol plants, including ADM’s Columbus facility and plants operated by POET in Nebraska and Iowa.
The operation is designed to transport over ten million tons of CO₂ per year. The scale is equivalent to removing more than two million passenger vehicles from the road.
What sets this project apart is that the pipeline didn’t start as a CCS project. It was a natural-gas facility that found new life converted for a new purpose.
Adapting old infrastructure in this way carries several benefits. For one, the operation required fewer new rights-of-way, reduced need for entirely new construction, and faster integration. Smaller, lateral lines were constructed using voluntary easements from landowners, simplifying permitting and community engagement. Together, this meant far less disruption for ADM to accomplish their goals.
This adaptation underscores the theme: “old infrastructure, new purpose.” Rather than laying entirely new conduits across vast terrain, the project leveraged what was already in place. Doing so reduced cost, decreased logistical friction, and hastened its time-to-market.
Capturing CO₂ at a bioethanol plant is itself complex. Fermentation processes release CO₂, which must be collected, compressed, and transported safely.
In this case, multiple ethanol plants now feed into the pipeline, creating a shared logistics infrastructure that benefits from economies of scale. Once transported, the CO₂ is injected deep underground in rock formations roughly 9,000 feet beneath the surface in southeast Wyoming.
Community engagement also played a significant role. Tallgrass worked with landowners and citizens’ groups, creating a community investment fund tied to the pipeline’s throughput (10 cents per metric ton of CO₂ sent).
Initial contributions toward local services such as early childhood development, senior care, and food pantries were given. This is a critical element of the project as repurposing infrastructure isn’t just a technical exercise—it has to fit socially and politically, too.
While the retrofitted pipeline is the highlight of this development, the project’s broader strategy reinforces the theme of transformation.
The ethanol plants themselves are evolving. By capturing their CO₂, they lower their carbon-intensity scores and position themselves for new markets such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
These plants were originally built for one purpose: fuel production. Now they’re adapting to serve a net-zero future. That second layer of reuse speaks to the broader mindset shift of legacy assets repurposed for modern climate goals.
The transition to sustainable operations is no easy feat. New technology, shifting regulations, massive capital costs, and intricate logistics all stand as formidable barriers. Many decarbonization projects stall not because the science is impossible, but because the infrastructure and business-model challenges are real and steep.
Yet in this case, the company behind this facility demonstrated how a measure of ingenuity can go a long way. Choosing to repurpose an existing natural-gas line, building lateral connections via voluntary easements, and aligning community interests all unlocked what might otherwise have been prohibitively slow or expensive.
Their story serves as a beacon. It shows that while the challenges are steep, a path forward to a more sustainable future is very much possible.
Repurposing yesterday’s infrastructure for today’s climate challenge isn’t just clever… it’s necessary. And as we scale the next generation of decarbonization efforts, the “old-infrastructure, new-purpose” mindset may be one of our most effective tools.
As news like this shows, the biofuels market is changing rapidly. That’s why it’s so critical to stay informed on what’s happening and what to expect into the future.
To stay ahead in the ever-evolving biofuels space, join us for the Biofuels Market Outlook 2026 — a live webinar hosted by ResourceWise on Thursday, December 4 2025 at 10:00 A.M. EDT (3:00 P.M. UTC).
In this session you'll gain expert insights on:
Given the story you just read about repurposing legacy infrastructure, optimizing logistics and unlocking scale, this webinar is a timely opportunity to connect that operational ingenuity with broader market trends. You’ll leave with actionable intelligence, not just theory.
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