About Project Tundra

Aerial of Milton R. Young Station and Nelson Lake
Project Tundra

The vision for Project Tundra is to advance next-generation carbon capture and storage technologies at the separately-owned Milton R. Young Station power generation facility. Up to 4 million metric tons of the facility’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions would be captured annually through the process. The CO2 would then be safely and permanently stored in deep geologic formations approximately a mile underground.

Milton R. Young Station aerial photoDrone photo of the Milton R. Young Station and Nelson Lake
CO2 Capture Icon
4

Million metric tons of CO2 captured annually

Coal Reserves in North Dakota Icon
800

Years of recoverable coal reserves in North Dakota

CO2 Storage Icon
252

Billion tons of CO2 storage capacity in North Dakota

Capital Investment Icon
1.4

Billion dollars of capital investment

This project is a shining example of how industries can reduce emissions while investing in baseload generation to preserve reliable, low-cost energy for consumers. - North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
About

Milton R. Young Station

  • The Milton R. Young Station is a key source of electrical generation for Minnkota Power Cooperative and its members. Named for the late senator from North Dakota, the Young Station is a two-unit, lignite coal-based power plant located near Center, N.D.
  • Young Unit 1 has the capacity to produce 250,000 kilowatts (kW), and Young Unit 2 has a 455,000-kW generating capacity. After more than five decades of service, the facility has reached milestones in reliability and performance in recent years. An abundant, low-cost coal supply from the nearby Center Mine, owned and operated by BNI Coal, has played a key role in the plant’s success.
  • Both units at the Young Station are equipped with emission control technologies that meet or exceed all current state and federal air quality standards. Between 2006 and 2011, about $425 million was invested into the plant to significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury (Hg) and other emissions. Project Tundra would be an effort to reduce emissions further by capturing and storing CO₂.
learn more about the milton r. Young station
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Environmental responsibility
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Reliability and quality
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Compliance and transparency
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Accountability and innovation
Lignite Coal-Based Power Plant Light Blue Icon
Lignite coal-based power plant
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Key source of electrical generation