Confidential California energy company biomass conversion processes with carbon capture January 2024

Confidential California energy company biomass conversion processes with carbon capture January 2024

California’s roadmap to decarbonization is highly debated, however many seem to agree on projects that help produce so-called “negative emissions” such biomass conversion processes combined with carbon capture. This is a focus of one significant California energy producer attempting to develop multiple different sites.

The energy company is scoping the technical processes and associated requirements for biomass facility development and Cornerstone’s role has been the lead for this scoping and due diligence.

Cornerstone first developed a project description which connects the technical processes to the inputs and outputs and language that the regulators and external stateholders will care about. We see this is a key step to project success and one we’re uniquely capable of performing. These facilities are on the order of 1,000 tonnes per day of woody biomass feedstock. Next, our team members analyzed all types of development considerations ranging from regulatory and land planning to waste handling and utility requirements. We reviewed General Plan Amendment / Zone Change requirements, air permitting considerations, special study zones such as flood and Alquist-Priolo, water and sewage requirements, and major utility interconnections such as water, gas, and power.

Our findings are framed in relation to our client’s goals and planned activities as described in the project description – provided with meaning as opposed to stated and left to the client to determine relevance and impact. Ultimately, this project informs our client’s decisions and long-term strategies to execute on one or more of these sites.