Carbon-neutral hydrogen production facility planned for Port of Corpus Christi

The Port of Corpus Christi and Howard Midstream Energy Partners plan to convert Howard’s Javelina refinery services facility into a carbon-neutral hydrogen production facility.

Javelina controls approximately 60m cubic feet per day of hydrogen production through a combination of hydrogen entrained in the six local refineries’ waste gas that the facility processes, and hydrogen produced through a steam methane reformer process. This hydrogen is currently sold back to refineries and other industries, where it is used to remove impurities like sulfur during the refining process. The partners hope to scale production to enable hydrogen export.

According to the MOU, Howard will capture its carbon emissions at Javelina to avoid contributing to global warming. The partners will collaborate to identify options for carbon capture and storage, as well as uses for any residual CO2. Captured CO2 can be directed to industries that require it for production, such as steel, or that assimilate it, like cement.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have determined that the Texas Gulf Coast is well suited for injection and storage of pressurized CO2 in permanent geological storage formations offshore. The Port of Corpus Christi has committed to developing the infrastructure needed for this enterprise.

With the high local 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, the port says it is situated to become a carbon capture and sequestration management hub for the country.

“Our future as the ‘Energy Port of the Americas’ starts with building a scalable carbon-capture and storage solution to serve the needs of our existing customers and convert more Texas gas into carbon-neutral hydrogen for the global markets,” said Sean Strawbridge, the port’s CEO.