Decarbonization in Action: The Top 10 US Carbon Capture and Storage Projects of 2025

The U.S. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) landscape is undergoing a pivotal transformation, moving from conceptual planning to large-scale commercial deployment. An analysis of major developments reveals a market characterized by the strategic clustering of projects around industrial hubs, the critical need to decarbonize power for data centers, and the scaling of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. Key projects like the Calpine Baytown Energy Center, targeting 2 million metric tons of CO₂ annually, and Occidental’s Stratos DAC facility, demonstrate the scale of ambition. The dominant theme for 2025 is the solidification of the CCS value chain through definitive offtake agreements, strategic partnerships, and the construction of dedicated infrastructure, signaling a decisive shift from feasibility studies to project execution.

1. Stratos Direct Air Capture (DAC) Project

Companies: Occidental Petroleum (through its subsidiary 1 Point Five) and Origis Energy
Capacity: 500, 000 metric tons of CO₂ annually
Application: Direct Air Capture powered by a dedicated solar portfolio
Source: Origis Energy Commissions 500 MWdc Swift Air Solar Projects in …

2. Calpine Baytown Energy Center CCS Project

Companies: Calpine Corporation and Exxon Mobil
Capacity: Approximately 2 million metric tons of CO₂ annually
Application: Low-carbon power generation from a new natural gas plant
Source: Calpine, Exxon Mobil sign CO 2 transportation and storage …

3. CF Industries Donaldsonville CCS Facility

Companies: CF Industries and Exxon Mobil
Capacity: A key component of Exxon Mobil’s contracted ~9 million metric tons per annum (MTA) portfolio
Application: Decarbonization of ammonia production
Source: Here’s How XOM Is Scaling Up Its CCS Footprint to Reduce Emissions

4. Google-Backed Gas Power Plant with CCS

Companies: Google and Mitsubishi Power
Capacity: Designed to capture 90% of CO₂ emissions
Application: Firm, low-carbon power for data centers
Source: Google Commits to First U.S. Gas-Fired Power Plant with Integrated …

5. California Resources Corporation (CRC) Carbon Terra Vault I (CTV I)

Company: California Resources Corporation
Capacity: Not specified; designed as a dedicated CO₂ storage facility
Application: CO₂ injection and permanent geologic storage
Source: California Resources Corporation Breaks Ground on California’s …

6. Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub (SCS Hub)

Companies: Frontier Infrastructure and Baker Hughes
Capacity: Positioned to be one of the largest U.S. CO₂ sequestration assets (specific tonnage not provided)
Application: Multi-user CO₂ sequestration hub for industrial emitters
Source: Baker Hughes, Frontier Infrastructure Partner on Carbon Capture …

7. ADM Decatur CCS Facility

Company: Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM)
Capacity: Averages nearly 0.5 Mtpa (based on 4.5 million metric tons sequestered over a decade)
Application: Long-term industrial CCS for ethanol production
Source: ADM and Carbon Capture and Storage

8. Lake Charles Power Station Integrated CO₂ Capture Project

Company: Project supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Capacity: Not specified; large-scale pilot
Application: Advancing capture technologies for power generation
Source: [XLS] Sheet 1 – Climate Program Portal

9. Illinois CO₂ Injection Project

Company: Unnamed Texas-based developer
Capacity: Not specified; early-stage regulatory filing
Application: New CO₂ injection and storage project
Source: CP Daily Newsletter: Wednesday February 18, 2026 – Carbon Pulse

10. Bantam DAC Facility

Company: Climeworks
Capacity: Over 5, 000 tons of CO₂ annually
Application: Direct Air Capture, noted as the largest operational DAC in the U.S. as of October 2025
Source: Facilities – CO 2 RE – Global CCS Institute

Table: Top 10 U.S. Carbon Capture & Storage Projects (2025-2026 Developments)

Industry Adoption: From Niche to Necessity

The diversity of applications highlights the broadening adoption of CCS technology beyond its traditional industrial base. While foundational projects continue to focus on decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like ammonia production (CF Industries) and ethanol (ADM), a significant new driver is the immense power demand from data centers. Google’s landmark decision in October 2025 to back a gas-fired power plant with integrated CCS is a market-defining moment, creating a new offtake category for low-carbon, firm power. This contrasts with the nascent but technologically significant Direct Air Capture sector, where projects by Occidental and Climeworks are pioneering a model for location-agnostic carbon removal, albeit at a smaller scale. This bifurcation signals a healthy, diversifying market where CCS is being applied both as a point-source solution for existing industry and as an enabling technology for future growth sectors.

Ethanol and Chemicals Lead CCS Adoption

This chart supports the section’s point on industry adoption by showing that the chemicals (ammonia) and ethanol sectors have the highest rates of CCS project implementation. This visualizes the foundational projects in ‘hard-to-abate sectors’ mentioned in the text.

(Source: CaptureMap)

Geography: The Gulf Coast’s Gravity Well

The U.S. CCS map is heavily weighted toward the Gulf Coast, particularly Texas and Louisiana. This geographic concentration is no accident. The region offers a confluence of favorable geology for permanent sequestration, a high density of industrial emitters, and extensive existing pipeline infrastructure. Projects like the Calpine Baytown Energy Center and the CF Industries Donaldsonville facility leverage this “gravity well, ” with a major player like Exxon Mobil building a comprehensive “hub-and-spoke” business model to transport and store CO₂ for multiple third-party customers. However, the market is not monolithic. The groundbreaking of CRC’s Carbon Terra Vault I in California and the ongoing operations of ADM’s facility in Illinois demonstrate that viable projects are emerging nationwide, driven by regional policy, resource availability, and specific industrial needs. Wyoming’s planned Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub further indicates a strategic build-out of sequestration capacity in other key geologic basins.

US Carbon Capture Projects Cluster Geographically

This map directly illustrates the section’s focus on geography by visualizing the heavy concentration of CCS projects in the Gulf Coast region. This confirms the ‘gravity well’ effect of Texas and Louisiana described in the text.

(Source: USAFacts)

Tech Maturity: Crossing the Commercial Rubicon

The 2025-2026 period reveals a market with technologies at varying levels of maturity, all progressing simultaneously. At one end, ADM’s Decatur facility serves as a benchmark for proven, long-term commercial operation, having sequestered CO₂ for over a decade. In the middle are large-scale projects that are now reaching critical execution milestones. The definitive agreements for the Calpine Baytown project in April 2025 and the operational startup of the CF Industries facility in July 2025 mark the transition from development to commercial reality for multi-million-ton-per-annum projects. At the scaling edge is Direct Air Capture. While Climeworks’ Bantam facility is currently the largest operational in the U.S., Occidental’s Stratos project represents a hundred-fold increase in scale, with its viability significantly de-risked by the commissioning of its dedicated solar power supply in February 2026. This demonstrates a clear pathway from pilot-scale to gigaton-scale ambition.

CCS Project Pipeline Shows Varying Maturity

This chart reinforces the theme of technological maturity by showing the rapid growth in projects at ‘Advanced development’ and ‘Concept’ stages. This illustrates the simultaneous progression of projects at different levels of maturity as the industry crosses the ‘commercial rubicon’.

(Source: Trellis)

Forward-Looking Insights: The Decade of Deployment

The key takeaway from these installations is that the U.S. CCS industry is firmly entering its “decade of deployment.” The primary success factor is no longer just technological feasibility but the assembly of a complete, bankable value chain. The most successful projects are underpinned by strategic partnerships that link capture, transport, and storage, as seen in the Calpine/Exxon Mobil and CF Industries/Exxon Mobil agreements. Corporate demand, especially from the tech sector as shown by Google, will become an increasingly powerful catalyst, creating market pull for low-carbon solutions. Looking forward, the industry’s trajectory will be defined by the successful replication of these integrated hub models, the continued cost reduction and scaling of DAC technologies, and the ability to navigate complex regulatory and permitting landscapes, as exemplified by the new permit application in Illinois.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the largest carbon capture projects mentioned by capacity?

The Calpine Baytown Energy Center project is the largest mentioned, targeting approximately 2 million metric tons of CO₂ annually. Occidental’s Stratos Direct Air Capture (DAC) project is also a major project, with a planned capacity of 500,000 metric tons per year.

Why are so many CCS projects concentrated in the U.S. Gulf Coast?

The Gulf Coast, particularly Texas and Louisiana, is a hub for CCS because it offers a unique combination of favorable geology for permanent CO₂ storage, a high concentration of industrial facilities that produce CO₂, and extensive existing pipeline infrastructure for transport.

Besides traditional industries, what new sector is driving demand for CCS technology?

The technology sector, specifically the data center industry, is emerging as a major new driver for CCS. The article highlights Google’s decision to back a gas-fired power plant with integrated CCS to secure low-carbon, firm power for its data centers.

What is the difference between point-source capture and Direct Air Capture (DAC) as described in the article?

Point-source capture, used by projects like Calpine Baytown (power generation) and CF Industries (ammonia production), captures CO₂ directly from an industrial emission source. Direct Air Capture (DAC), used by Occidental’s Stratos and Climeworks’ Bantam projects, is a technology that removes CO₂ directly from the ambient air, making it ‘location-agnostic.’

What is the key takeaway about the state of the U.S. CCS industry in 2025?

The main takeaway is that the industry is entering its ‘decade of deployment,’ moving from planning to large-scale execution. The primary success factor is now the assembly of a complete value chain through strategic partnerships that link CO₂ capture, transport, and storage, often driven by new corporate demand.

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