(Source: Walid Berrazeg/ Shutterstock.com)
Technip Energies has been selected to carry out engineering and design work for what could become the world’s largest hydrogen production facility, project developer Exxon Mobil said Jan. 30.
Targeting production of 1 Bcf/d of low-carbon hydrogen, Exxon Mobil plans to build the hydrogen, ammonia and carbon capture facility in Baytown, Texas, where it will be paired with the company’s massive olefins plant.
As part of the Houston area Gulf Coast project, Exxon said it intends to capture and permanently store about 7 million metric tons of CO2 annually.
Pending a final investment decision, which is expected by 2024, and other conditions, the facility could startup in 2027 or 2028.
“This project allows us to offer significant volumes of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia to third party customers in support of their decarbonization efforts,” said Dan Ammann, president of Exxon Mobil Low Carbon Solutions. “In addition, the project is expected to enable up to a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our Baytown integrated complex, by switching from natural gas as a fuel source to low-carbon hydrogen.”
Hydrogen is seen by energy experts as having great decarbonization potential. Plentiful in supply, hydrogen has near-zero greenhouse-gas emissions, and it generates electricity with water vapor and warm air being the only byproducts. However, its future depends on its ability to overcome challenges including cost, scale and demand.
Exxon Mobil has said it plans to invest about $17 billion, up 15% from the amount announced in 2022, on lower-emission initiatives through 2027. These efforts include investments aimed at reducing not only its emissions but also others as the company seeks to commercialize and scale hydrogen, biofuels and carbon capture.
Thirteen companies, including BASF, Chevron, Dow, Phillips 66 and Valero, have already joined Exxon Mobil in exploring and implementing carbon capture in the Houston Gulf Coast area.
In November 2022, Exxon Mobil announced a partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to deploy MHI’s carbon capture technology.
Recommended Reading
PrePad Tosses Spreadsheets for Drilling Completions Simulation Models
2025-02-18 - Startup PrePad’s discrete-event simulation model condenses the dozens of variables in a drilling operation to optimize the economics of drilling and completions. Big names such as Devon Energy, Chevron Technology Ventures and Coterra Energy have taken notice.
Digital Twins ‘Fad’ Takes on New Life as Tool to Advance Long-Term Goals
2025-02-13 - As top E&P players such as BP, Chevron and Shell adopt the use of digital twins, the technology has gone from what engineers thought of as a ‘fad’ to a useful tool to solve business problems and hit long-term goals.
Aris CEO Brock Foresees Consolidation as Need for Water Management Grows
2025-02-14 - As E&Ps get more efficient and operators drill longer laterals, the sheer amount of produced water continues to grow. Aris Water Solutions CEO Amanda Brock says consolidation is likely to handle the needed infrastructure expansions.
How DeepSeek Made Jevons Trend Again
2025-03-25 - As tech and energy investors began scrambling to revise stock valuations after the news broke, Microsoft Corp.’s CEO called it before markets open: “Jevons paradox strikes again!”
Halliburton, Sekal Partner on World’s First Automated On-Bottom Drilling System
2025-02-26 - Halliburton Co. and Sekal AS delivered the well for Equinor on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.