Bennet Welcomes Department of Energy Support for First-of-a-Kind Effort to Capture Carbon Emissions at Florence Cement Plant

Denver – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced $1.5 million in federal grant funding to support an innovative project to capture and sequester carbon emissions from the LafargeHolcim cement plant in Florence. These federal grant dollars will support the initial engineering analysis and advancement of this carbon-capture project, which would be the first-ever commercial-scale application of carbon capture technology to a cement plant. The project is a partnership of Svante Inc., LafargeHolcim, Kiewit Engineering Group Inc., Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, LLC, and Total. 

“This project is the latest example of Colorado’s leadership in advancing solutions to the climate crisis while sustaining high quality jobs and supporting innovation,” said Bennet. “Climate change is an urgent crisis. We’re already facing its devastating consequences in Colorado with worsening drought and increasingly extreme wildfire seasons. That’s why I supported federal grant funding for the next phase of this first-of-a-kind project to advance carbon capture technology that can help us avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”  

In June, Bennet sent a letter to U.S. Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg in support of federal grant funding for this project.

In 2019, Bennet introduced the Carbon Capture Improvement Act with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to make it easier for power plant and industrial facilities to finance the purchase and installation of carbon capture, utilization, and storage equipment. The legislation would allow businesses to use private activity bonds (PABs) issued by local or state governments to finance a carbon capture project, a significant step to reduce pollution and create good-paying jobs. In the FY21 appropriations process, Bennet supported initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the Department of Energy’s carbon capture, utilization, and storage programs.