Port of Corpus Christi could be a hub for hydrogen production

Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Two entities in Texas said Tuesday they joined forces to offer a single application for two hydrogen hubs that will be anchored to the commercial prospects along the Gulf of Mexico.

A clean energy division within the federal Department of Energy called on the Port of Corpus Christi and those behind the planned Trans Permian hydrogen hub to submit applications for a share of $8 billion in funding through last year's bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Jeff Pollack, the chief strategic and sustainability officer at the port, said joining forces was a logical step.

"West Texas has anchored domestic energy production for decades, with a physical and commercial connection to the Gulf Coast that is the backbone of the nation's energy economy," he said. "Our integrated hub concept creates the roadmap for diversifying and decarbonizing this historic corridor with the potential to deliver transformative benefits to communities in the hub."

The Texas port is among the busiest in the nation and is progressing quickly in the pursuit of alternative forms of new energy and a net-zero emissions economy. Port authorities earlier this month secured $16.4 million in funding offered through the Department of Energy to support the development of carbon capture and storage technology.

Two new facilities under consideration at the Port of Corpus Christi would store as much as 50 million tons of carbon dioxide, the loose equivalent of the amount emitted from a dozen coal-fired power plants each year, over a 30-year period.

Hydrogen facilities under consideration at the port include production "from diverse feedstocks" as well as refueling stations and the manufacturing of hydrogen fuel cells for busses.

Hydrogen is a potent energy carrier and the most abundant element in the universe. Production is described using a color spectrum. The most common form, grey hydrogen, comes from breaking methane into its elemental components of hydrogen and carbon.