Emerson Automates Louisiana Biomass CCS Power Plant

Biomass power generation paired with carbon capture and storage is gaining attention as utilities and industrial operators seek stable low-carbon energy sources that can operate independently of weather conditions. Unlike intermittent renewable systems, biomass plants can provide continuous baseload electricity while using waste-derived feedstocks that would otherwise release carbon through decomposition or incineration. In this context, Emerson secured the automation contract for Strategic Biofuels’ Louisiana Green Fuels (LGF) project in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana.

The approximately $2 billion facility combines a wood-fired power plant with commercial-scale carbon capture and storage infrastructure designed to supply carbon-neutral electricity to the Louisiana power grid.

Forestry waste converted into baseload electricity
At full operating capacity, the LGF facility is designed to process 1.3 million tons of forestry waste annually. The project converts biomass feedstock into 100 MW of dispatchable electricity while capturing and permanently storing approximately 1.1 million tons of CO2 per year.

The captured carbon dioxide will be stored in geological formations located nearly one mile underground as part of the plant’s integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) system. This approach is intended to reduce atmospheric emissions from biomass combustion while maintaining stable electricity generation for grid operations.

The project targets applications within clean energy infrastructure and industrial decarbonization strategies where continuous power generation and emissions reduction are required simultaneously.

Automation platform coordinates plant and CCS operations
To manage the integrated biomass and CCS processes, Emerson will deploy its DeltaV automation platform alongside process control, measurement, and reliability technologies used across energy and industrial facilities.

The automation architecture includes Rosemount smart sensors, control valves, shut-off valves, pressure protection devices, Micro Motion and Flexim flow measurement systems, gas analysis technologies, and AspenTech data management software.

These systems are intended to provide operational visibility across combustion, carbon capture, flow control, and storage processes. In large-scale biomass and CCS facilities, automation systems are used to maintain process stability, monitor emissions, optimize energy efficiency, and support continuous plant operation under variable feedstock conditions.

Carbon capture integrated into plant infrastructure
The Louisiana Green Fuels project differs from conventional biomass facilities through the integration of commercial-scale CCS infrastructure directly into the power generation process. Captured CO2 is intended for long-term geological sequestration rather than industrial reuse.

The project also reflects broader investment in carbon management systems within the North American energy sector, particularly for facilities seeking to combine renewable feedstocks with emissions reduction technologies.

Emerson’s role includes automation integration across both the power generation and carbon capture systems, supporting coordinated operation between energy production, emissions monitoring, and underground CO2 storage infrastructure.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

www.emerson.com