Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., takes a moment to talk with reporters as he arrives at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Capitol Hill, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

More than $44 million in federal funding will go toward the development of a carbon storage hub in Marshall County in West Virginia and Belmont County in Ohio, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s office announced Tuesday.

The funding will come from the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and the hub will serve West Virginia and surrounding states. It was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, according to Manchin, I-W.Va.

“West Virginia has always been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge energy technologies,” Manchin said. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Mountain State will continue to lead the way by advancing innovative carbon storage infrastructure to help reduce emissions. This new technology will support critical industries in our state and create good paying jobs in the region.”

According to the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, regional carbon emissions in eastern Ohio and northwestern West Virginia would be significantly reduced through developing a stacked storage hub close to where the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub and other major industrial facilities are located.

A stacked carbon storage hub is a commercial-scale facility that stores carbon dioxide from various sources.

The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub or ARCH2 is an initiative between the U,S. DOE, private industry, state and local governments, academic and technology institutions, nonprofits and community groups to build a safe and sustainable clean hydrogen ecosystem in Appalachia.

According to the ARCH2 website, carbon dioxide is a natural byproduct when natural gas-reforming creates hydrogen. Many of the ARCH2’s proposed projects will use carbon capture and storage to permanently store carbon dioxide deep underground.

In August, Manchin led a ribbon-cutting in Morgantown celebrating the opening of the ARCH2 program office.

Advanced Resources International, a consulting, research and development firm in Arlington, Virginia, will investigate the development of the hub in Marshall and Belmont counties, according to the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.

The project, the office said, will focus on the geological, engineering, and community assessment of large-scale carbon dioxide storage through drilling and evaluation of two characterization wells. It will use seismic methods to ensure the site is appropriate and to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the subsurface, stakeholder engagement, environmental compliance, risk analysis, and a pipeline front-end engineering design study.

The exact site for the hub was not announced Monday or Tuesday. Officials from Advanced Resources International could not be reached for comment as of Tuesday night.

Marshall County Commission President Mike Ferro said development of this hub would be another feather in the cap of the county.

“Energy has long been a focus for Marshall County. We are fortunate to have abundant natural resources and a skilled workforce, and have always been a leading producer of coal and natural gas. This is one more significant project and resource that Marshall County and West Virginia can add to our growing energy portfolio.”