United States Steel Corp., Equinor U.S. Holdings Inc. and Shell U.S. Gas & Power LLC will collaborate to develop a clean energy hub focused on decarbonization, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen production and utilization.
According to a press release announcing the partnership on Aug. 16, the companies entered a non-exclusive cooperation agreement. Shell and Equinor are jointly applying for funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the regional hub development while U.S. Steel evaluates its potential role, which could include funding participant, customer, supplier or partner.
Through the development of the network of hubs, both the United States and the project partners would be a step closer to realizing their 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target.
“We’re proud of the collaboration with Equinor and U. S. Steel,” Lee Stockwell, general manager for U.S. carbon capture and storage for Shell and signee of the agreement, said in the release. “Together, we’ll continue to leverage our deep technical experience, existing networks, and seek to buildout the partnership with our customers and other partners.”
The hubs will span the Ohio-West Virginia-Pennsylvania region, an area with an abundance of low carbon gas, a robust industrial sector and a skilled workforce, making it a strategic location.
To develop the hubs, the collaborating companies will engage the local industry, labor, educational institutions and communities, which will generate sustainable jobs, in turn stimulating regional economic growth.
“Establishing a low carbon hub in this region could have a profound impact on both the climate and the economy, creating sustainable jobs that will support families for many years to come,” Grete Tveit, senior vice president of Equinor Low Carbon Solutions, added.
“For 14 years we have been engaged and investing in this region, and our significant equity gas production in the Appalachia region has proved to be an important low carbon asset in our portfolio. In collaboration with partners and the local community, we’re proud to advance this initiative and America’s net-zero future.”
Recommended Reading
Supreme Court Passes on MVP Appeal Challenging FERC’s Authority
2024-05-21 - The Supreme Court declined to take up a lawsuit against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the latest in a series of legal maneuverings over a case filed by opponents of the pipeline.
FERC Approves Transco Expansion in Texas, Louisiana
2024-07-01 - Williams Cos. plans to finish the $91.8M Transcontinental Gas Pipeline project in early 2025.
Supreme Court’s Uinta Basin Rail Case Raises Stakes for LNG, Pipelines
2024-07-10 - The lawsuit, involving crude transport via railway in the Uinta Basin, is part of a larger intragovernmental fight that could have implications for how FERC decides pipeline and LNG plant permitting.
FERC Re-affirms Tellurian Extension Request for Driftwood LNG
2024-07-09 - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission upheld its earlier decision following the Sierra Club’s request for another hearing on Driftwood LNG’s 2029 completion date.
DOE Approves Order Needed for Startup of Venture Global’s Plaquemines
2024-07-19 - Venture Global’s project is one step closer to production with the Department of Energy’s permission to export.