The Port of Corpus Christi Authority and Howard Midstream Energy Partners, LLC (Howard/HEP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) stating their intention to convert Howard’s Javelina refinery services facility into the region’s first carbon-neutral hydrogen production facility.
Howard’s Javelina facility is strategically positioned in the Port of Corpus Christi with pipeline connectivity to all six of the local refineries. Javelina controls approximately 60m cu ft per day (MMcf/d) of hydrogen production through a combination of hydrogen entrained in the refineries’ waste gas that the facility processes, and hydrogen produced through a steam methane reformer process.
The hydrogen is currently sold back to refineries and other industries where it is used to remove impurities like sulfur during the refining process.
The Port of Corpus Christi and Howard ultimately hope to scale hydrogen production for exports to overseas demand centres.
“With this exciting project and progressive partnership with the Port of Corpus Christi, we are demonstrating yet again our commitment to delivering clean, reliable energy that powers communities and business around the world,” said Mike Howard, HEP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
According to the MoU, Howard intends to capture its carbon emissions at Javelina, avoiding atmospheric release which contributes to global warming. The Parties will collaborate to identify uses for the residual CO2 as well as capture and storage options. Captured CO2 can be directed to industries that require it for production, such as steel, or that assimilate it, like cement.
The Port of Corpus Christi is uniquely suited to become the nation’s premier carbon capture and sequestration management hub based on the high density of industrial CO2 emitters, a robust network of existing pipeline infrastructure, and the Port Authority’s ownership of lands leading to state waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
“To the extent that our identity as the leading export gateway for U.S. produced hydrocarbons has been solidified, we see an elegant symmetry in the prospect of becoming the nation’s premier hub for carbon management,” said Jeff Pollack, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi.
In the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the Port of Corpus Christi has redoubled its commitment to lead atmospheric decarbonisation of the energy sector and to embrace the energy transition.
Source: Seatrade Maritime
