§ 1.45Q-2 Definitions for Purposes of §§ 1.45Q-1 through 1.45Q-5. ( a ) *Qualified carbon oxide.* The term *qualified carbon oxide* means— ( 1 ) Any carbon dioxide which— ( i ) Is captured from an industrial source by carbon capture equipment which is originally placed in service before February 9, 2018,
( ii ) Would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as industrial emission of greenhouse gas or lead to such release, and
( iii ) Is measured at the source of capture and verified at the point of disposal, injection, or utilization; or
( 2 ) Any carbon dioxide or other carbon oxide which— ( i ) Is captured from an industrial source by carbon capture equipment which is originally placed in service on or after February 9, 2018,
( ii ) Would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as industrial emission of greenhouse gas or lead to such release, and
( iii ) Is measured at the source of capture and verified at the point of disposal, injection, or utilization; or
( 3 ) In the case of a direct air capture facility, any carbon dioxide that is captured directly from the ambient air and is measured at the source of capture and verified at the point of disposal, injection, or utilization.
( b ) *Recycled carbon oxide.* The term qualified carbon oxide includes the initial deposit of captured carbon oxide used as a tertiary injectant. Qualified carbon oxide does not include carbon oxide that is recaptured, recycled, and re-injected as part of the enhanced oil or natural gas recovery process.
( c ) *Carbon capture equipment.* In general, *carbon capture equipment* includes all components of property that are used to capture or process carbon oxide until the carbon oxide is transported for disposal, injection, or utilization. Except as described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, carbon capture equipment generally does not include components of property used for transporting qualified carbon oxide for disposal, injection, or utilization. Carbon capture equipment that is originally placed in service at a qualified facility on or after February 9, 2018, may be owned by a taxpayer other than the taxpayer that owns the industrial facility at which the carbon capture equipment is placed in service. ( 1 ) *Use of carbon capture equipment.* Carbon capture equipment is equipment used for the purpose of— ( i ) Separating, purifying, drying, and/or capturing carbon oxide that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere from an industrial facility;
( ii ) Removing carbon oxide from the atmosphere via direct air capture; or
( iii ) Compressing or otherwise increasing the pressure of carbon oxide.
( 2 ) *Carbon capture equipment components.* Carbon capture equipment generally includes components of property necessary to compress, treat, process, liquefy, pump or perform some other physical action to capture qualified carbon oxide. For purposes of this paragraph (c), carbon capture equipment includes a system of gathering and distribution lines that collect carbon oxide captured from a qualified facility or multiple qualified facilities that constitute a single project (as described in section 8.01 of Notice 2020-12, 2020-11 I.R.B. 495 (see § 601.601(d)(1) and (2)(ii) of this chapter)) for the purpose of transporting that carbon oxide away from the qualified facility or single project to a pipeline used to transport carbon oxide to or from one or more taxpayers and projects.
( 3 ) *Single process train.* All components that make up an independently functioning process train capable of capturing, processing, and preparing carbon oxide for transport will be treated as a single unit of carbon capture equipment.
( d ) *Industrial facility.* An *industrial facility* is a facility, including an electricity generating facility, that produces a carbon oxide stream from a fuel combustion source or fuel cell, a manufacturing process, or a fugitive carbon oxide emission source that, absent capture and disposal, injection, or utilization, would otherwise be released into the atmosphere as industrial emission of greenhouse gas or lead to such release. ( 1 ) *Exclusion.* An industrial facility does not include a facility that produces carbon dioxide from carbon dioxide production wells at natural carbon dioxide-bearing formations or a naturally occurring subsurface spring. For purposes of section 45Q, a carbon dioxide production well at natural carbon dioxide-bearing formations or a naturally occurring subsurface spring means a well that contains 90 percent or greater carbon dioxide by volume (90 percent test).
( 2 ) *Exception for wells at natural carbon dioxide-bearing formations or a naturally occurring subsurface spring that contain a product other than carbon dioxide.* A well meeting the 90 percent test will not be treated as a carbon dioxide production well at natural carbon dioxide-bearing formations or a naturally occurring subsurface spring if: ( i ) The deposit contains a product, other than carbon oxide, that is commercially viable to extract and sell without taking into account the availability of a commercial market for the carbon oxide that is extracted or any section 45Q tax credit that might be available;
( ii ) The taxpayer provides an attestation to paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section from an independent registered engineer with experience in feasibility studies for extraction of gases from the subsurface;
( iii ) A direct air capture facility (defined in section 45Q(e)(1)(A)) is not used to capture carbon oxide from the gas stream; and
( iv ) Any carbon oxide extracted from the deposit is used as tertiary injectant in an enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project or as feedstock of a utilization project.
( 2 ) *Industrial source.* An *industrial source* is an emission of carbon oxide from an industrial facility.
( 3 ) *Manufacturing process.* A *manufacturing process* is a process involving the manufacture of one or more products, other than carbon oxide, that are intended to be sold at a profit, or are used for a commercial purpose (other than producing carbon oxide). All facts and circumstances with respect to the process and products are to be taken into account.
( 4 ) *Examples.* The following examples illustrate the rules of paragraph (d) of this section: ( i ) *Example 1.* A natural underground reservoir contains a gas that is comprised of 50 percent carbon dioxide and 50 percent methane by volume. The raw gas is not usable without the application of a separation process to create two gases that are primarily carbon dioxide and methane. Taxpayer B constructs processing equipment that separates the raw gas into carbon oxide and methane. The carbon dioxide is sold to a third party for use in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project. Some of the methane is used as fuel to power the processing equipment. The remainder of the methane is injected into the reservoir. The injection will increase the ultimate recovery of carbon dioxide. The injected methane can be produced later from the reservoir. At the end of the taxable year Taxpayer B has not secured a contract to sell methane and does not have any plans to use the methane for a commercial purpose other than producing carbon oxide. Because carbon dioxide is the only product manufactured that is intended to be sold at a profit or used for a commercial purpose, the separation process applied to the gases is not a manufacturing process within the meaning of paragraph (d)(3) of this section. The carbon dioxide captured by the process is not qualified carbon oxide.
( ii ) *Example 2.* ( A ) A natural underground reservoir contains a gas that is comprised of 95 percent carbon dioxide and 5 percent helium by volume. The raw gas is not usable without the application of a separation process to create two gases that are primarily carbon dioxide and helium. Taxpayer C determines that the extraction of helium is economically viable even if there were no commercial market for carbon dioxide or any section 45Q credit. An independent registered engineer attests to Taxpayer C's determination. Taxpayer C constructs processing equipment that separates the raw gas into carbon dioxide and helium. The helium is sold to various customers for use in commercial and industrial applications. The carbon dioxide is sold to a third party for use in a qualified enhanced oil recovery project. Any carbon dioxide which the third party cannot accept is returned to the reservoir or vented in accordance with applicable permits.
( B ) Because the extraction of helium is economically viable even if there were no commercial market for carbon dioxide or any section 45Q credit, the reservoir will not be considered a natural carbon dioxide-bearing formation or a naturally occurring subsurface spring within the meaning of paragraph (d)(1) and the separation process applied to the gases is a manufacturing process within the meaning of paragraph (d)(3). Taxpayer C may claim the section 45Q credit with respect to the carbon dioxide sold to the third party and which the third party uses in ad oil recovery project during the taxable year. Taxpayer C may not claim the section 45Q credit with respect to the carbon dioxide that is returned to the reservoir or vented.
( e ) *Electricity generating facility.* An *electricity generating facility* is a facility described in section 45Q(d)(2)(A) or (B) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) that is subject to depreciation under MACRS Asset Class 49.11 (Electric Utility Hydraulic Production Plant), 49.12 (Electric Utility Nuclear Production Plant), 49.13 (Electric Utility Steam Production Plant), or 49.15 (Electric Utility Combustion Turbine Production Plant).
( f ) *Direct air capture facility.* A *direct air capture facility* means any facility that uses carbon capture equipment to capture carbon oxide directly from the ambient air. It does not include any facility that captures carbon dioxide ( 1 ) that is deliberately released from naturally occurring subsurface springs or
( 2 ) using natural photosynthesis.
( g ) *Qualified facility.* A *qualified facility* means any industrial facility or direct air capture facility, the construction of which begins before January 1, 2026, and either at which construction of carbon capture equipment begins before that date, or the original planning and design for which includes installation of carbon capture equipment, and at which carbon capture equipment is placed in service that captures the requisite annual thresholds of carbon oxide described in paragraph (g)(1) of this section. See Notice 2020-12 (see § 601.601(d)(1) and (2)(ii) of this chapter), for guidance on the determination of when construction has begun on a qualified facility or on carbon capture equipment. For purposes of whether a facility satisfies the requisite annual carbon oxide capture thresholds described in paragraph (g)(1) of this section, a taxpayer may apply the rules of section 8.01 of Notice 2020-12 (see § 601.601(d)(1) and (2)(ii) of this chapter) to treat multiple facilities as a single facility. ( 1 ) *Emissions and capture requirements.* The carbon capture equipment placed in service at the qualified facility must capture— ( i ) In the case of a facility, other than a direct air capture facility, which emits not more than 500,000 metric tons of carbon oxide i the atmosphere during the taxable year, at least 25,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year which is utilized in a manner consistent with section 45Q(f)(5) and § 1.45Q-4 (section 45Q(d)(2)(A) facility);
( ii ) In the case of an electricity generating facility which is not a section 45Q(d)(2)(A) facility (section 45Q(d)(2)(B) facility), not less than 500,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year; and
( iii ) In the case of a direct air capture facility or other facility that is not a section 45Q(d)(2)(A) facility or a section 45Q(d)(2)(B) facility, at least 100,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year.
( 2 ) *Examples.* The following examples illustrate the rules of paragraph (g) of this section: ( i ) *Example 1.* During the taxable year, an ethanol plant emits 200,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Carbon capture equipment located at the facility captures 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, all of which are utilized in a manner consistent with section 45Q(f)(5) and § 1.45Q-4. The ethanol plant is a qualified facility under section 45Q(d)(2)(C) and § 1.45Q-2(g)(1)(i) during the taxable year because it met the requirement to capture at least 25,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year which were utilized in a manner consistent with section 45Q(f)(5) and § 1.45Q-4.
( ii ) *Example 2.* During the taxable year, an electricity generating facility emits 600,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Carbon capture equipment located at the facility captures a total of 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. 50,000 metric tons of the captured carbon dioxide are utilized in a manner consistent with section 45Q(f)(5) and § 1.45Q-4, and 400,000 metric tons of the carbon dioxide are disposed of in secure geological storage. The electricity generating facility is not a qualified facility under section 45Q(d)(2)(B) during the taxable year because it did not capture at least 500,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year. Further, because the electricity generating facility emitted greater than 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide during the taxable year, but only captured 450,000 metric tons, it is not a qualified facility under section 45Q(d)(2)(A) and § 1.45Q-2(g)(1)(ii).
( iii ) *Example 3.* During the taxable year, a cement manufacturing plant emits 110,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Carbon capture equipment located at the plant captures 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. 10,000 metric tons of the amount captured are utilized in a manner consistent with section 45Q(f)(5) and § 1.45Q-4, and 90,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, are disposed of in secure geological storage. The cement manufacturing plant is a qualified facility during the taxable year because the carbon capture equipment located at the plant met the requirement under section 45Q(d)(2)(C) and § 1.45Q-2(g)(1)(i) to capture at least 100,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year.
( iv ) *Example 4.* Taxpayer X owns and operates three natural gas processing facilities (A, B, and C) that separate carbon dioxide from natural gas. A, B, and C are all located within several miles of each other. X installed carbon capture equipment by A, B, and C. Carbon dioxide captured by A, B, and C is collected via a single system of gathering and distribution lines for delivery to a transportation pipeline. X contracts with third-party Z for the use of carbon dioxide captured by A, B, and C as a tertiary injectant pursuant to a single contract. During the taxable year, equipment at A captures 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, equipment at B captures 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and equipment at C captures 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide. All other factors listed in the single project rule in section 8.01 of Notice 2020-12 support the conclusion that A, B and C are a single facility. X may treat A, B, and C as a single facility under the rules of section 8.01 of Notice 2020-12 for purposes of determining whether the requirement under section 45Q(d)(2)(C) and § 1.45Q-2(g)(1)(i), to capture at least 100,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide during the taxable year is satisfied. If X treats A, B, and C as a single facility, the minimum capture requirement will be satisfied for the taxable year.
( 3 ) *Annualization of first-year and last-year qualified carbon oxide emission and/or capture amounts* — ( i ) *In general.* For both the taxable year in which carbon capture equipment is placed in service at a qualified facility and the taxable year in which the 12-year period described in sections 45Q(a)(3)(A) and (4)(A) and § 1.45Q-1(c)(1) and (2) ends, annualization of the amount of qualified carbon oxide emitted and captured (or captured directly from the ambient air in the case of a direct air capture facility) is permitted to determine if the threshold requirements under paragraph (g)(1) of this section are satisfied. Such annualization may result in a facility being deemed to satisfy the threshold requirements under paragraph (g)(1) of this section for the year and may permit a taxpayer to claim section 45Q credits even though the amount of qualified carbon oxide emitted or captured in the first year or last year of the 12-year period is less than the threshold requirements under paragraph (g)(1) of this section.
( ii ) *Calculation.* Annualization is only available for the taxable year in which the carbon capture equipment is placed in service at the qualified facility and the taxable year in which the 12-year period described in sections 45Q(a)(3)(A) and (4)(A) and § 1.45Q-1(c)(1) and (2) ends. Annualized amounts must be calculated by— ( A ) Determining the amount of qualified carbon oxide emitted and captured (or captured directly from the ambient air in the case of a direct air capture facility) during the taxable year in which the carbon capture equipment was placed in service at the qualified facility or the taxable year in which the 12-year period described in sections 45Q(a)(3)(A) and (4)(A) and § 1.45Q-1(c)(1) and (2) ends,
( B ) Dividing the amount of qualified carbon determined under paragraph (g)(3)(ii)(A) of this section by the number of days in the period either (I) beginning with the date on which the carbon capture equipment was placed in service at the qualified facility and ending with the last day of the taxable year containing that date, or (II) beginning with the first day of the taxable year in which the 12-year period described in sections 45Q(a)(3)(A) and (4)(A) and § 1.45Q-1(c)(1) and (2) ends and ending with the last day of that 12-year period; and
( C ) Multiplying by 365.
( iii ) *Consequences.* If the annualized amounts of qualified carbon oxide emitted and captured (or captured directly from the ambient air in the case of a direct air capture facility) as calculated under this formula meet the threshold requirements under paragraph (g)(1) of this section, the threshold requirements under paragraph (g)(1) of this section are deemed satisfied for the taxable year in which the carbon capture equipment was placed in service at the qualified facility or the taxable year in which the 12-year period described in sections 45Q(a)(3)(A) and (4)(A) and § 1.45Q-1(c)(1) and (2) ends. The taxpayer may be eligible for a section 45Q credit for that taxable year but must calculate the credit based on actual amounts of qualified carbon oxide captured and disposed of, injected, or utilized during the taxable year.
( 4 ) *Election for applicable facilities.* In the case of an applicable facility, for any taxable year during which such facility captures not less than 500,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide, the taxpayer described in section 45Q(f)(3)(A)(ii) and § 1.45Q-1(h)(1)(ii) (that is, the person that owns the carbon capture equipment and physically or contractually ensures the capture and disposal, injection or utilization of such qualified carbon oxide), may elect to have such facility, and any carbon capture equipment placed in service at such facility, deemed as having been placed in service on February 9, 2018 (section 45Q(f)(6) election). For purposes of whether a facility satisfies the 500,000 metric ton qualified carbon oxide capture threshold, a taxpayer may apply the rules of section 8.01 of Notice 2020-12 to treat multiple facilities as a single facility. ( i ) *Applicable facility.* An applicable facility means a qualified facility described in section 45Q(f)(6)(B) and § 1.45Q-2(g) that was placed in service before February 9, 2018, for which no taxpayer claimed a section 45Q credit for qualified carbon oxide captured at the facility for any taxable year ending before February 9, 2018.
( ii ) *Time and manner of making election.* The taxpayer described § 1.45Q-1(h)(1) makes a section 45Q(f)(6) election by filing a statement of election with the taxpayer's income tax return for each taxable year in which the credit arises. The section 45Q(f)(6) election must be made in accordance with *Form 8933* filed with the taxpayer's Federal income tax return for each taxable year in which the taxpayer makes the section 45Q(f)(6) election. The statement of election must, in addition to any information required on *Form 8933,* set forth the electing taxpayer's name, address, taxpayer identification number, location, and e-GGRT ID number(s) (if available) of the applicable facility.
( iii ) *Retroactive credit revocations.* A taxpayer may not file an amended Federal income tax return, an amended *Form 1065,* or an AAR, as applicable, for any taxable year ending before February 9, 2018, to revoke a prior claim of section 45Q credits.
( 5 ) *Retrofitted qualified facility or carbon capture equipment (80/20 Rule).* A qualified facility or carbon capture equipment may qualify as originally placed in service even if it contains some used components of property, provided the fair market value of the used components of property is not more than 20 percent of the qualified facility or carbon capture equipment's total value (that is, the cost of the new components of property plus the value of the used components of property) (80/20 Rule). In determining the value of the used components of property as compared to the new components, the general principles of Revenue Ruling 94-31 (see § 601.601(d)(2)(i)(a) and (ii) of this chapter), will apply. The relevant unit of retrofitted carbon capture equipment for purposes of the 80/20 Rule is an independently functioning process train. For purposes of the 80/20 Rule, the cost of a new qualified facility or carbon capture equipment includes all properly capitalized costs of the new qualified facility or carbon capture equipment. Solely for purposes of the 80/20 Rule, properly capitalized costs of a new qualified facility or carbon capture equipment may, at the option of the taxpayer, include the cost of new equipment for a pipeline (the cost of equipment for a new pipeline, not equipment used to repair an existing pipeline) owned and used exclusively by that taxpayer to transport carbon oxides captured by that taxpayer's qualified facility or carbon capture equipment that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.
( h ) *Qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project.* The term *qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project* has the same meaning as a qualified enhanced oil recovery project under section 43(c)(2) of the Code and § 1.43-2, by substituting crude oil or natural gas for crude oil in section 43(c)(2)(A)(i) and §§ 1.43-2 and 1.43-3. ( 1 ) *Application of §§ 1.43-2 and 1.43-3 .* For purposes of applying §§ 1.43-2 and 1.43-3 with respect to a qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project, the term enhanced oil or natural gas recovery is substituted for enhanced oil recovery, and the term oil or natural gas is substituted for oil.
( 2 ) *Required certification.* The qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project must be certified under § 1.43-3, even if no credit related to enhanced oil or natural gas recovery is claimed for the taxable year. For purposes of a natural gas project— ( i ) The petroleum engineer's certification under § 1.43-3(a)(3) and the operator's continued certification of a project under § 1.43-3(b)(3) must include an additional statement that the certification is for purposes of the section 45Q carbon oxide sequestration tax credit;
( ii ) The petroleum engineer's certification must be attached to a *Form 8933* and filed not later than the last date prescribed by law (including extensions) for filing the operator's or designated owner's Federal income tax return or *Form 1065* for the first taxable year in which qualified carbon oxide is injected into the reservoir; and
( iii ) The operator's continued certification of a project must be attached to a *Form 8933* and filed not later than the last date prescribed by law (including extensions) for filing the operator's or designated owner's Federal income tax return or *Form 1065* for taxable years after the taxable year for which the petroleum engineer's certification is filed but not after the taxable year in which injection activity ceases and all injection wells are plugged and abandoned.
( 3 ) *Natural gas.* Natural gas has the same meaning as under section 613A(e)(2) of the Code.
( 4 ) *Timely filing of petroleum engineer's certification.* For purposes of this paragraph (h), if a section 45Q credit is claimed on an amended Federal income tax return, an amended *Form 1065,* or an AAR, as applicable, the petroleum engineer's certification for a natural gas project will be treated as filed timely if it is attached to a *Form 8933* that is submitted with such amended Federal income tax return, amended *Form 1065,* or AAR. With respect to a section 45Q credit that is claimed on a timely filed Federal income tax return or *Form 1065* for a taxable year ending after December 31, 2017, and beginning on or before January 13, 2021, for which the petroleum engineer's certification for a natural gas project was not submitted, the petroleum engineer's certification for a natural gas project will be treated as filed timely if it is attached to an amended *Form 8933* for such taxable year.
( 5 ) *Carbon oxide injected in oil reservoir.* Carbon oxide that is injected into an oil reservoir that is not a qualified enhanced oil recovery project under section 43(c)(2) due to circumstances such as the first injection of a tertiary injectant occurring before 1991, or because a petroleum engineer's certification was not timely filed, cannot be treated as qualified carbon oxide, disposed of in secure geological storage, or utilized in a manner described in section 45Q(f)(5). This rule will not apply to an oil reservoir if— ( i ) The reservoir has permanently ceased oil production;
( ii ) The operator has obtained an Underground Injection Control Class VI permit; and
( iii ) The operator complies with 40 CFR part 98 subpart RR.
( 6 ) *Tertiary Injectant.* For purposes of section 45Q, a tertiary injectant is qualified carbon oxide that is injected into and stored in a qualified enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project and contributes to the extraction of crude oil or natural gas. The term *tertiary injectant* has the same meaning as used in section 193(b)(1) of the Code.
( i ) *Section 45Q credit.* The term *section 45Q credit* means the carbon oxide sequestration credit determined under section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code and § 1.45Q-1.
( j ) *Form 8933.* The term *Form 8933* means Form 8933, Carbon Oxide Sequestration Credit, any successor form(s), pursuant to instructions to any of the foregoing (see § 601.602 of this chapter), or other guidance. This definition of Form 8933 applies to this section and to §§ 1.45Q-1, 1.45Q-3, 1.45Q-4, and 1.45Q-5.
( k ) *Applicability date.* This section applies to taxable years beginning on or after January 13, 2021. Taxpayers may choose to apply this section for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, provided the taxpayer applies this section and §§ 1.45Q-1, 1.45Q-3, 1.45Q-4, and 1.45Q-5 in their entirety and in a consistent manner.
[T.D. 9944, 86 FR 4760, Jan. 15, 2021]