Carbon removal Vaulted Deep expands operations in Kansas
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Houston-based carbon removal startup Vaulted Deep celebrated the expansion of its Great Plains Facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the company's effort to combat climate change through underground waste storage.
The company, which injects organic waste into underground salt caverns for permanent carbon storage, has created 18 full-time jobs across field operations, administration, and data analytics since beginning operations in Hutchinson. In its first 18 months, the company invested $3.5 million into the Kansas economy, according to information on the company's website.
Reno County Commissioners Ron Hirst and Richard Winger, along with County Administrator Randy Partington and Public Management Intern Joshua Chonga, attended the ribbon cutting ceremony alongside other local officials, community members and company employees.
Vaulted Deep takes organic waste like excess manure, treated sewage, paper sludge, and agricultural byproducts and injects it way deep into the Earth for permanent removal using proven technology born out of the oil & gas industry. The process prevents the waste from decomposing and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The company reported removing more than 2,000 metric tons of CO2 during its first four months of operations at the Hutchinson site. The company stated that their local impact has been $5 million spent locally, 22 full-time jobs created, and 69,000 tonnes of waste diverted.
The Great Plains Facility was originally built in the 1980s to store hydrocarbon liquids — like propane and butane — and maintain clean groundwater. It was re-permitted for safe beneficial reuse of waste materials by Kansas Department of Health and Environment in 2012.
The site has maintained a strong safety record and has had no groundwater contamination incidents in its 15+ year history, according to the company. The facility operates under strict oversight, with monthly and quarterly reports submitted to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment covering waste emplacement, cavern pressure, groundwater testing, and more.
In May 2024, Vaulted Deep secured a $58.3 million offtake agreement from Frontier, a carbon-removal fund whose members include Stripe, Shopify, and Alphabet. With the offtake agreement from Frontier, Vaulted plans to expand existing operations in Kansas and Los Angeles. The startup also aims to bring three new sites online by 2027.
The company is a Texas-born company headquartered in Houston but operates facilities in multiple states. The company is repurposing tools and talent from the oil and gas world to tackle two big problems: overburdened waste systems and rising carbon pollution.
Salt caverns provide permanent, durable storage for organic waste because they're highly impermeable and structurally sound. They've been used for decades to store liquefied petroleum products — including the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve along the Gulf Coast.
Hutchinson Mayor Stacy Goss praised the company's investment in the community, noting that since 2023, Vaulted Deep has created 22 full-time positions, with more on the horizon.
The expansion represents part of a growing carbon removal industry, as climate scientists agree that removing planet-warming gases from the atmosphere is necessary to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in addition to reducing fossil fuel use.
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