Westman chosen for carbon-capture plant

A Montreal-based carbon-capture company is set to build one of the largest facilities in the world in western Manitoba at a cost of about $200 million.

No site has been selected for the future 100-employee Deep Sky facility, but the Rural Municipality of Pipestone and the Municipality of Two Borders are “promising” locations, a company spokesperson told the Sun.

Jason Vanderheyden, Deep Sky’s vice-president of government relations and public affairs, described the area as “very lucky” when it comes to building a carbon-capture station.

“You guys have a lot of renewable energy, which is amazing, and then secondly is you guys have the geology and not every province in Canada has deep, saline aquifers,” said Vanderheyden.

“Manitoba is blessed with the ability to literally store millions upon millions of tons of CO2 every year,” he said.

The facility will be able to store up to 500,000 tonnes of CO2 per year once Phase 3 is complete, and 30,000 tonnes of CO2 in its first year.

Deep Sky hopes to start construction in the third quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval from the province.

The goal is for the entire facility to be open no later than 2031, as the business would be able to capitalize on a federal tax credit.

The company already has one facility in Innisfail, Alta., that is able to capture 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The Manitoba station will use technology similar to large fans that will suck air from the atmosphere and use sorbent technology — like sponges — that will separate the CO2 from the air. It will then liquefy the CO2 and shoot it two kilometres down into saline aquifers.

“A lot of people like to think of ourselves as an oil and gas company, but in reverse. That’s essentially what we’re doing,” Vanderheyden said.

The 500,000 tonnes of CO2 total is equivalent to more than two billion kilometres of gas for a passenger vehicle.

The start-up makes money by selling credits to companies that create emissions and want to become carbon neutral, essentially offsetting the emissions they’ve created.

Some of those companies are tech giants and airlines, he said.

Vanderheyden said if the facility was made today, it would be the largest carbon-capture facility in the world “by a landslide.”

The potential investment is a welcome one, said RM of Pipestone Acting Reeve Randy Henuset.

“It would be fantastic. Economic spinoff would be great,” Henuset said.

He said an investment of that size would grow the municipality not just from the business itself, but the people that will move to the area as well.

“It just brings people into your municipality, just grows your tax base. It’s a great thing.”

Municipality of Two Borders Reeve Sandra Clark said they anticipate a positive impact if Deep Sky sets up shop there, but added, “We would have to look at what they’re offering when they come.”

The company is still exploring potential sites, with hydro power and the right geology being important factors. The two municipalities were the only ones identified by the company.

Manitoba Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses praised the project.

“Deep Sky’s selection of Manitoba for one of its first commercial carbon-removal and storage facilities highlights our province’s commitment to cutting-edge technologies like direct air capture,” he said in a Deep Sky press release.

“This project not only reinforces Manitoba’s leadership in reducing global CO2 emissions, but also contributes to building a modern, advanced economy and places our province among a select few jurisdictions worldwide with the capacity to host such transformative infrastructure.”

» alambert@brandonsun.com