BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. ExxonMobil has launched carbon capture and storage (CCS) operations at steelmaker Nucor’s direct reduced iron (DRI) facility in Convent, Louisiana, the company said.
The project is designed to capture, transport and permanently store up to 800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, enabling the production of what ExxonMobil describes as the lowest-carbon DRI at scale in North America.
“This is our third CCS startup for a third-party customer and the second we’ve brought online in 2026,” ExxonMobil said, adding that the project represents another step in the expansion of its Gulf Coast CCS network.
The company said its CCS network is continuing to grow, including through the Rose carbon storage project, which is intended to provide additional CO2 storage capacity.
“By capturing CO2 from Nucor's Convent facility, we're helping one of the world's leading steel producers make further progress toward its carbon-reduction goals and advance lower-emissions steel production at scale,” ExxonMobil said.
The company added that the Nucor project highlights the broader expansion of its CCS infrastructure, which depends on access to dedicated CO2 storage capacity and Class VI injection wells.
ExxonMobil also said its permit for the Rose carbon storage project had cleared a major regulatory hurdle after receiving approval from the Texas Railroad Commission.
ExxonMobil has more than 40 years of experience with carbon capture and storage (CCS) and is expanding a large-scale CCS network along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The company says its network now includes more than 1,300 miles of CO₂ pipelines and has the potential to reduce emissions by more than 100 million metric tons annually.
ExxonMobil launched its first commercial third-party CCS operation in Louisiana in 2025 with CF Industries and began a second operation in the state in February 2026, capturing CO₂ from the New Generation Gas Gathering facility. The company has signed CCS agreements with customers in industries including steel, fertilizer, industrial gases, natural gas processing, methanol and power generation.
ExxonMobil announced its agreement with Nucor in 2023, under which it would capture, transport and store up to 800,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually from Nucor’s DRI facility in Convent, Louisiana.
