Chevron Launches Carbon Capture/Storage Project in San Joaquin Valley

HOUSTON — Chevron U.S.A. Inc. has launched a carbon capture and storage project it says will greatly reduce the harmful carbon emissions from its operations in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

The project, part of the company’s expanding effort to grow lower carbon energy businesses, aims to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations by installing CO2 post-combustion capture equipment, capturing the CO2 and then safely storing it thousands of feet underground. 

This CCS initiative will first be undertaken at Chevron’s Kern River Eastridge cogeneration plant in Kern County, California.

“Reducing the carbon intensity of the energy people rely on day-in and day-out is well-aligned with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement,” said Chris Powers, vice president of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage for Chevron New Energies, in a written statement. 

“We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate and progress this CCS initiative in San Joaquin Valley, a region where we have lived and worked for over a century,” he said.

To advance the project, Chevron has applied to obtain a conditional use permit with the Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department  and the  company said it will continue to work with appropriate regulators throughout the process.

In addition to the Eastridge cogeneration project, Chevron is evaluating and deploying multiple carbon capture technology demonstrations in a bid to identify more efficient and cost-effective capture solutions.

“As Chevron advances to a lower carbon future, we’re identifying ways to advance our operations as well, so we can continue to provide local jobs, support the local economy, and generate local government revenue that supports critical community services,” said Molly Laegeler, vice president of San Joaquin Valley (SJV), Chevron, in a written statement. 

“We are excited about this Chevron New Energies project and fostering continued collaboration with local regulators throughout this process, not only to position the region to benefit from these lower carbon solutions, but that we continue to protect people and the environment,” Laegeler said, adding, “We believe this project has the potential to benefit the region on many levels and that Kern County is an ideal location for carbon capture and storage.”

An August 2020 report by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory highlighted opportunities for California to become carbon neutral.

That study noted, “There are various options for geologic storage sites in the state, but we have identified the most promising first candidates in San Joaquin County and in Kern County,” due to the regions’ geologic and subsurface characteristics, as well as the existing oil and natural gas production.

Chevron is also actively exploring other opportunities to lower the carbon intensity of its San Joaquin Valley operations, including the blending of hydrogen with natural gas in combustion, and the potential use of other emerging lower carbon technologies, such as geothermal.

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