Case Study: The University of Texas at Austin explores campus carbon capture with Thornton Tomasetti

The University of Texas at Austin explores CCUS for a ~50 MW campus plant with Thornton Tomasetti

The University of Texas at Austin was exploring options to reduce emissions from its large, natural-gas-powered campus microgrid. For economic and logistical reasons, eliminating natural gas was not feasible, so the university engaged Thornton Tomasetti to conduct a Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) feasibility study.

Thornton Tomasetti performed a comprehensive techno-economic assessment for the university, focusing on making a new central utility plant carbon-capture ready. The vendor developed a dynamic financial model to evaluate scenarios and provided actionable recommendations for integrating CCUS. The study found the solution could potentially capture 100,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually with 90% efficiency, providing the university with a viable pathway for deep decarbonization.

The University of Texas at Austin