ADM enters voluntary carbon removal market with 800,000-tonne annual capacity from Nebraska facility
ADM plans to enter the voluntary carbon removal market using credits from its corn processing complex in Columbus, Nebraska, which captures more than 800,000 tonnes of biogenic CO₂ per year. The credits will be certified by Puro.earth and are expected to be among the largest offerings of their kind, with initial issuance targeted by end of 2026.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has announced plans to enter the voluntary carbon removal market, offering credits generated from carbon capture operations at its corn processing complex in Columbus, Nebraska, which the company describes as having more than 800,000 tonnes of annual carbon removal capacity.
The planned credit offering is expected to be one of the largest of its kind. Credits will be certified and issued by Puro.earth under its Geologically Stored Carbon methodology, and ADM expects to issue the initial credits by the end of 2026, subject to certification and third-party verification. Once approved, the company will begin a 15-year crediting period for the Columbus facility.
ADM began carbon capture and storage operations at Columbus in 2025, in partnership with energy infrastructure company Tallgrass. The process involves capturing, purifying, and compressing biogenic carbon dioxide produced during ethanol fermentation at the corn processing facility, before transporting it to Tallgrass's Eastern Wyoming Sequestration Hub for permanent underground storage.
ADM describes the facility as the world's largest bioethanol carbon capture operation. Kris Lutt, ADM vice president of Innovation & Growth, said the company's experience positions it to link agricultural production with carbon removal markets. "ADM has more than a decade of experience supporting carbon capture and geologic storage," Lutt said, adding that the company's experience combined with Tallgrass's infrastructure positions ADM "to connect agricultural production with growing carbon removal markets at scale."
Puro.earth president Jan-Willem Bode said the certification process involved measurement, data collection, and third-party auditing to verify carbon removal at the facility.
The Columbus complex operates wet and dry mills that process corn into food ingredients, fuels, and animal feed products. ADM said the carbon removal credits will allow it to expand work with customers in industries including technology, finance, aviation, and pharmaceuticals. The company also highlighted carbon capture alongside regenerative agriculture and renewable natural gas as part of its broader lower-carbon agricultural strategy.
Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
