With iconic twin cooling towers overlooking Illinois' Rock River Valley, Byron Generating Station's two nuclear reactors can produce up to 2,347 megawatts (MW) of zero-emissions energy, enough carbon-free electricity to power more than two million homes.
In April 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $2.5 million grant to Constellation and its project partners to explore the benefits of constructing direct air capture (DAC) technology at Byron Generating Station. While nuclear plants do not produce any carbon emissions, direct air capture would remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, a possible next-generation technology to help our nation combat the climate crisis.
The DAC project at Byron Generating Station could capture 250,000 tons of CO2 each year, reducing global carbon emissions and helping to decarbonize energy intensive sectors of the economy. The study will also focus on the potential for a nuclear plant to become the center of a direct air carbon capture hub, partnering the DAC technology with storage of CO2 .