Air Liquide, Chevron Corporation, LyondellBasell and Uniper have announced plans to collaborate on a joint study that will evaluate and potentially advance the development of a hydrogen and ammonia production facility along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The groups said the facility could support industrial decarbonization and mobility applications in the region and expand clean ammonia exports, helping to increase the supply of lower carbon power internationally.
Under their plans the potential project to be studied is intended to cover the end-to-end energy value chain and utilize each participant’s technical expertise in production, operational experience, storage, distribution, and export logistics.
Specifically, the consortium will assess the potential for producing hydrogen using natural gas with carbon capture and storage and renewable hydrogen via electrolysis to supply end-use markets, including the ammonia, petrochemicals, power, and mobility markets.
The groups said the project could leverage existing advantages along the Gulf Coast, including pipeline infrastructure, to supply lower carbon and renewable hydrogen to local industrial clusters. Likewise, ammonia infrastructure could support exports to both Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
For its part Chevron said it was excited to be part of this effort and to help bring the capabilities needed to make this a reality.
“Across the value chain, collaborations are critical to developing a hydrogen ecosystem, and this is an example of bringing together leaders in the space to explore lower carbon hydrogen opportunities and to contribute complementary expertise,” said Austin Knight, Chevron New Energies, vice president of hydrogen.
Air Liquide said this project exemplifies the company’s commitment to decarbonizing industrial basins around the world.
“Air Liquide is proud to evaluate, with its customers and industry partners, opportunities to further develop and deploy low-carbon and renewable hydrogen, and carbon capture technologies in the region. The Gulf Coast is the ideal location to model hydrogen and carbon capture technologies as immediate pathways to decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors,” said Adam Peters, Air Liquide North America CEO.
“Prioritizing sustainable technologies, like hydrogen and carbon capture, means we can provide energy transition careers for many.”
