Summit Carbon Solutions announced permits granted in Minnesota and North Dakota on Thursday.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) granted a permit for the company’s 28-mile pipeline route through Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties. In North Dakota, the company received three Class VI sequestration permits from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC), marking a critical step forward in the Midwest Carbon Express project.

With today’s approval of both the sequestration permits and the Minnesota pipeline permit, along with recent major milestones including the North Dakota pipeline permit and the Iowa permit, Summit Carbon Solutions is making significant progress toward project completion. With the South Dakota PUC application also submitted, Summit Carbon Solutions is on track to begin construction in early 2026 and operations in 2027.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw calls the approval another win for farmers and ethanol demand across the multi-state map. “The momentum is rolling, and the train will not stop until ultra-low carbon ethanol becomes achievable for producers who are desperately in need of big opportunities to drive corn demand. Project approval is now on track, full steam towards South Dakota. We need regulators there to get onboard, otherwise Midwest farmers will be left at the station as other states, such as Nebraska, roll toward new markets like sustainable aviation fuel.”

The permits allow Summit Carbon Solutions to permanently store more than 350 million metric tons of CO₂ in geologic formations more than a mile underground. This process ensures long-term safety while decarbonizing 57 ethanol plants across five states. Combined with the project’s pipeline infrastructure, the sequestration sites in North Dakota will enable farmers and ethanol producers to access new markets for low-carbon fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and green fuels, while supporting the broader goals of energy and economic sustainability.