ExxonMobil enters agreement with Air Liquide on low-carbon hydrogen

Published on June 26, 2024 by Liz Carey

© Shutterstock

On Monday, ExxonMobil announced it had entered into an agreement with Air Liquide to support the production of low-carbon hydrogen and low-carbo ammonia at ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas facility.

Officials with ExxonMobil said the agreement would allow ExxonMobil to transport low-carbon hydrogen through Air Liquide’s existing pipeline network. Air Liquide will also build and operate four Large Modular Air (LMA) separation units for the facility that will supply 9,000 metric tons of oxygen and up to 6,500 metric tons of nitrogen daily. Officials said the LMAs will primarily use low-carbon electricity, reducing the facility’s carbon footprint.

“Momentum continues to build for the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen project and the emerging hydrogen market,” said Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “This partnership with Air Liquide further strengthens our Baytown project by enabling hydrogen distribution through existing networks and securing key feedstocks.”

The agreement furthers the two companies’ commitments to advancing the low-carbon market and will push toward a cleaner energy future, officials said. ExxonMobil said the planned hydrogen production facility will be the world’s largest and is expected to produce 1 billion cubic feet of low-carbon hydrogen daily, as well as more than 1 million tons of ammonia annually. Officials anticipate the facility will capture more than 98 percent of the associated CO2 emissions. ExxonMobil is one of the largest integrated fuels companies in the world and owns and operates the largest CO2 pipeline network in the U.S.

Final investment decisions are subject to governmental policies, and regulatory permitting, officials said.