ExxonMobil awards front-end engineering and design contract to Technip Energies for world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen facility

Moving forward with the development of what would be the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen production facility, ExxonMobil recently awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract to Technip Energies for its Baytown project.

As a result, Technip will handle the project’s next stage, and it remains on track for startup between 2027 and 2028. Baytown is meant to be a low-carbon hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon capture facility capable of producing 1 billion cubic feet of hydrogen per day. More than 98 percent of the associated CO2 produced by Baytown will be either captured or permanently stored using a network that third-party emitters in the area will also be able to utilize.

“This project allows us to offer significant volumes of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia to third-party customers in support of their decarbonization efforts,” Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, said. “In addition, the project is expected to enable up to a 30 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our Baytown integrated complex by switching from natural gas as a fuel source to low-carbon hydrogen.”

ExxonMobil expects a final investment decision for Baytown to be reached by 2024, inclusive of stakeholder support, regulatory permitting, and market conditions. When finished, it should capture around 7 million metric tons of CO2 annually, and the facility will pair with the largest olefins plant in the United States. It will also provide up to a 30 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions at the larger integrated complex.