US oil major Chevron, industrial gases firm Air Liquide, multinational chemicals company Lyondell Basell and Germany energy firm Uniper have announced their intention to launch a joint study to evaluate and potentially advance the development of a hydrogen and ammonia production facility along the US Gulf Coast.

The four firms will assess the potential for producing both blue and green forms of hydrogen to supply end-use markets—including ammonia, petrochemicals, power and mobility.

The Gulf Coast presents advantages for hydrogen project development, such as existing infrastructure for transport to domestic industrial clusters and export to Europe and Asia, and “is the ideal location to model hydrogen and carbon-capture technologies as immediate pathways to decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors”, according to Adam Peters, CEO of Air Liquide North America.

“Partnerships are critical to developing a hydrogen ecosystem” Knight, Chevron

“This project exemplifies Air Liquide’s commitment to decarbonising industrial basins around the world. Prioritising sustainable technologies, like hydrogen and carbon-capture, means we can provide energy transition careers for many thousands of American workers while building a more sustainable energy future for all,” he adds.

“Across the value chain, partnerships are critical to developing a hydrogen ecosystem, and this is an example of bringing together leaders in the space who can contribute complementary activities, all focused on the singular goal of accelerating lower carbon solutions,” says Austin Knight, vice-president for hydrogen at Chevron New Energies.

“Uniper is committed to the green expansion of our Wilhelmshaven LNG receiving terminal in Germany and expects to receive and store roughly 1mn t/yr of clean ammonia at the port by the end of the decade. US Gulf Coast supply from this initiative can be critical to meeting that goal,” says Marc Merrill, CEO of Uniper in North America.

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Author: Polly Martin