Global infrastructure investor I Squared Capital (managing $50 billion in assets), and its portfolio company Low Carbon Infrastructure (LCI) have announced a landmark clean energy partnership with Google to develop Broadwing Energy, a 400 MW/1.5 million lb/h natural-gas-fired combined cycle cogeneration plant with integrated carbon capture and sequestration.
Broadwing will employ a Mitsubishi Power M501JAC gas turbine and the Japanese company’s proven carbon capture technology.
Google plans to purchasing the majority of the plant’s power for its data centres to help support and scale CCS technology, intending to make low-carbon power more accessible and affordable.
The project marks what is believed to be the first ever corporate offtake agreement for a CCS-enabled power plant, “demonstrating a new model for scaling clean, firm generation that complements renewable power sources”, say its developers. When operational, Broadwing Energy will capture and permanently store over 90% of its CO2 emissions.
Broadwing Energy is being developed on an existing Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) site in Decatur, Illinois, leveraging ADM’s experience in safe CO2 sequestration, which includes nearly a decade of storing CO2 from ethanol production at the site.
The captured CO2 from Broadwing will be compressed and injected into ADM’s EPA Class VI approved wells, and stored permanently more than a mile underground.
Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services are being led by Kiewit Power Constructors, with project financing expected to reach final investment decision in Q2 2026 and commercial operation targeted for 2030.
The project “underscores how private investment, technology innovation, and corporate energy demand can come together to deliver scalable climate solutions,” said Gautam Bhandari, global chief investment officer and managing partner, I Squared.
“Broadwing demonstrates that carbon capture can be commercially viable today,” said Jonathan Wiens, chief executive officer of Low Carbon Infrastructure. “Working alongside I Squared and Google, we’re proving that low-carbon power can be both affordable and reliable.”
Broadwing Energy is seen as the first in a pipeline of CCS-enabled facilities under development by I Squared and LCI, aimed at expanding clean, firm generation capacity across North America and supporting decarbonisation.
“By entering into this agreement with LCI, we hope to help prove and scale a valuable source of clean, firm power. We’re excited to support LCI in their pioneering efforts, both at Broadwing Energy and across the broader portfolio they are developing in the US,” said Michael Terrell, Google’s Head of Advanced Energy.
“At Google, we’re advancing a broad portfolio of new energy technologies that can support our growth and enable a reliable, affordable, clean energy future.
“When we published our strategy to advance the next generation of clean electricity sources, we identified a suite of technologies we would work to commercialise — setting the scene for pioneering agreements to procure enhanced geothermal, advanced nuclear and long duration energy storage. We also identified natural gas with carbon capture and storage as a critical source of clean firm power and outlined stringent safety and environmental criteria we look for in potential CCS projects.
“…By agreeing to buy most of the power [Broadwing] generates, Google is helping get this new, baseload power source built and connected to the regional grid that supports our data centres.
“We hope it will accelerate the path for CCS technology to become more accessible and affordable globally, helping to increase generating capacity while enabling emission reductions.
“Our goal is to help bring promising new CCS solutions to the market while learning and innovating quickly — the same approach we’ve taken with other energy technologies. Our collaboration with LCI will help fast-track critical technical and operational improvements, from continuing to raise CO2 capture rates to improving system performance and economics.
“Transparency will also be critical to ensure the environmental integrity of our projects. That’s why the project will incorporate a newly-released standard for CCS-specific Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), developed by industry experts to ensure CCS projects can be accurately quantified in emissions reporting.”
