ExxonMobil plans Texas hydrogen, CCS project
US major ExxonMobil said March 1 it was planning one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects at its Baytown complex outside Houston, producing 1bn ft3/day of blue hydrogen from natural gas and capturing 10mn mt/yr of CO2.
The hydrogen would be used at Baytown’s olefins plant, reducing the integrated complex’s Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 30%. Surplus hydrogen and CO2storage capacity would be made available to nearby industries.
“Hydrogen has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in vital sectors of the economy and create valuable, lower-emissions products,” said Joe Blommaert, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “By helping to activate new markets for hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, this project can play an important part in achieving America’s lower-emissions aspirations.”
The project would also form ExxonMobil’s initial contribution to its broad, cross-industry effort to establish Houston as a major CCS hub on the US Gulf Coast, with an initial target to capture 50mn mt/yr of CO2 by 2030 and 100mn mt/yr by 2040.
Evaluation and planning for the Baytown project are ongoing and, subject to stakeholder support, regulatory permitting and market conditions, a final investment decision is expected in two to three years.