Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) Electrical Construction & Instrumentation
Preferred EPC on 100-Ton CO2 Capture Plants
Wikota Electrical Services affiliate companies have served as the preferred EPC contractor on 100-ton per day CO2 capture plants for a leading industrial OEM. That relationship places Wikota Electrical at the design stage of CCUS projects, not just the field execution stage, meaning the electrical and I&C systems are engineered and installed by the same coordinated team that developed the capture plant design.
CCUS is one of the fastest-growing construction markets in the energy sector, driven by federal tax incentives under Section 45Q, industrial decarbonization commitments from major emitters, and pipeline infrastructure development connecting capture sites to sequestration formations. The electrical and I&C scope of a CCUS project is substantial and technically specific. Contractors without direct CCUS experience are learning the capture chemistry, compression requirements, and injection facility instrumentation requirements for the first time on the owner’s project. Wikota Electrical Services is not.
CO2 Capture Electrical and I&C
Post-Combustion Capture Systems
Post-combustion capture systems extract CO2 from flue gas using chemical solvents in an absorber-stripper configuration. Electrical scope covers blower motors driving flue gas through the absorber, reboiler heating systems for the stripper, solvent pump motors throughout the circulation loop, and the cooling system serving the absorber and condenser. I&C scope covers temperature and pressure monitoring throughout the capture columns, flow measurement on the flue gas inlet and CO2 product outlet, and the control system managing solvent circulation rates and reboiler temperatures to optimize CO2 recovery efficiency.
Point-Source and Direct Air Capture Systems
Point-source capture at industrial emitters, including cement plants, steel mills, and ethanol facilities, involves integrating capture electrical and I&C systems with the existing facility electrical infrastructure. Direct air capture systems extract CO2 from ambient air and require larger contactor volumes and more energy-intensive regeneration than point-source systems. Wikota Electrical reviews available power supply and control system integration points before design begins on either system type.
CO2 Compression Electrical Systems
Captured CO2 must be compressed from near-atmospheric pressure to the supercritical pressure required for pipeline transport or injection, typically above 1,070 psi. Multi-stage compression electrical scope covers compressor motor MCCs and VFDs for variable-speed compression control, intercooler and aftercooler electrical connections, and the medium-voltage distribution system supplying the compression train. I&C scope covers suction and discharge pressure and temperature transmitters at each stage, anti-surge control valve actuation, and the compressor control system managing stage sequencing, protection logic, and SCADA communication.
CO2 Dehydration Electrical and Controls
CO2 dehydration removes water vapor from the compressed gas stream to prevent corrosion and hydrate formation in the pipeline or injection well. Glycol dehydration systems require electrical connections for glycol circulation pumps, the glycol reboiler heating system, and instrumentation monitoring water dew point at the dehydrator outlet. Molecular sieve dehydration systems require regeneration gas heater electrical connections and the control system managing the adsorption and regeneration cycle. Dew point analyzer installation and calibration verifies that the dehydrated CO2 meets the pipeline or injection specification.
CO2 Injection Facility Electrical, Instrumentation, and Metering
Injection Well Electrical and Controls
CO2 injection facilities pump supercritical CO2 into geological formations for permanent storage or enhanced oil recovery. Injection pump or compressor electrical scope covers high-pressure pump motor MCCs, VFDs for injection rate control, and wellhead electrical connections for downhole monitoring systems. I&C scope covers injection pressure and flow monitoring, wellhead pressure and temperature transmitters, and the control system managing injection rate against permitted injection pressure limits.
Custody Transfer and MRV Instrumentation
Measurement, reporting, and verification requirements under EPA regulations and Section 45Q tax credit accounting require that the mass of CO2 injected be measured with documented accuracy. Custody transfer metering at the CCUS injection facility requires flow computers, mass flow meters, and associated pressure and temperature compensation instrumentation installed to EPA and applicable industry standards. Metering system calibration records are regulatory documentation maintained for the life of the project.
| Electrical Construction | Capture system blower, pump, and heater electrical, compression train MCC and VFD installation, dehydration electrical, injection pump electrical, and facility power distribution. |
|---|---|
| Instrumentation & Controls | Capture process I&C, multi-stage compressor instrumentation and control, dehydration monitoring, injection well I&C, and MRV metering installation and calibration. |
| Engineering & Design | Power systems design for CCUS facilities, control system design, arc-flash analysis, and electrical drafting through Mid-America Services, including design work as preferred EPC affiliate. |
| Project Delivery | Full EPC coordination with Wikota Design & Construction, construction management, commissioning, pipeline operator coordination, and project visibility. |
| Safety, Quality & Compliance | Zero recordable incidents, ISNetworld tracking, NFPA 70E compliance, and QA/QC documentation for regulatory compliance requirements. |
Frequently Asked Questions
A CO2 capture facility's electrical scope covers the fan and blower motors driving flue gas or air through the capture contactor, the solvent circulation pump motors throughout the absorber-stripper loop, the reboiler heating system electrical connections, and the cooling system serving the absorber and condenser. I&C scope covers temperature and pressure monitoring throughout the capture columns, CO2 concentration measurement at the flue gas inlet and product outlet, solvent flow measurement, and the control system managing the capture operation. The compression system downstream adds compressor motor MCCs, VFDs, and multi-stage compression instrumentation to the total project scope.
Carbon capture is the process of separating CO2 from a gas stream. Construction scope covers capture system electrical and I&C, compression electrical, and dehydration systems. Carbon utilization converts captured CO2 into products such as synthetic fuels, chemicals, or building materials. Construction scope depends on the utilization technology but typically involves additional process electrical and I&C beyond capture and compression. Carbon storage injects compressed CO2 into a geological formation. Construction scope covers the injection facility, injection pumps or compressors, wellhead connections, downhole monitoring, and the MRV metering system required for regulatory compliance.
CCUS projects share many electrical and I&C elements with conventional chemical process plants but have specific requirements driven by the CO2 capture chemistry, high-pressure compression requirements, and the regulatory framework governing CO2 storage. Amine-based capture solvent chemistry creates material compatibility requirements for instrumentation wetted surfaces that differ from standard process service. Compression to supercritical pressure requires higher motor voltages and more complex anti-surge control than typical process gas compression. MRV instrumentation for regulatory compliance requires documented calibration procedures and traceability records more stringent than standard process metering.
CCUS projects benefit from integrated EPC delivery because the electrical and I&C systems are engineered concurrently with the process design rather than being specified after the process design is complete. When the engineering team designs the capture system, the electrical load list, MCC sizing, and control system architecture are developed in parallel. Equipment specifications account for field installation requirements. Procurement is aligned with the construction schedule so long-lead items arrive when field crews are ready. Wikota Electrical Services, through its affiliate relationship with Wikota Design & Construction, provides this integrated delivery model for CCUS projects.