The Petra Nova CCS project was designed to capture approximately 90 percent of the CO2 from a 240 MW slipstream of flue gas and use or sequester approximately 1.4 million metric tons of CO2 annually. It was taken offline in May 2022. Owner JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration said the plant resumed operations on 5 September 2023.

The project was the product of a 2010 Cooperative Agreement between the DOE and NRG Energy Inc. for the W.A. Parish Post-Combustion CCS Sequestration project. The project ownership was later changed to Petra Nova Parish Holdings, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between NRG Energy and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration. In 2021, NRG sold its 50 percent stake for only about $3.6 million.

The DOE provided up to $190 million in total cost share.

The captured CO2 was compressed and transported through an 80-mile pipeline to an operating oil field where it was utilized for enhanced oil recovery and ultimately sequestered. The captured CO2 was compressed, dried, and then transported via pipeline to Hilcorp’s West Ranch oil field, located near Vanderbilt, Texas.

The demonstration project became operational in January 2017.