ExxonMobil has selected Denmark’s Topsoe to deliver autothermal reforming technology for its planned blue hydrogen facility at its Baytown complex in Texas.

With a production capacity of 1bn ft³/d, Baytown is expected to be one of the largest low-carbon projects in the world on startup in 2027–28. The hydrogen will be used at the existing Baytown olefins facility to reduce the complex’s emissions intensity by 30pc.

Topsoe will supply its Syncor technology and work with the project’s carbon-capture technology licensor Honeywell to integrate hydrogen production and CCS processes. ExxonMobil aims to capture more than 98pc of the blue hydrogen plant’s emissions, estimated at 7mn t/yr.

7mn t/yr – Estimated CO₂ captured by Baytown blue hydrogen project

ExxonMobil earlier this month announced it had contracted Feed on the project to engineering company Technip Energies. And the major expects to take FID by 2024.

“ExxonMobil’s investment in large scale low-carbon hydrogen production shows our commitment to supporting customers in their decarbonisation efforts and to reducing emissions at our own operations,” says Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions.

“The scale of this project is expected to enable up to a 30pc reduction in scope one and two emissions from our Baytown facility by switching from natural gas as a fuel source to low-carbon hydrogen.”

The major is in discussions with potential offtakers for hydrogen and ammonia, as well as third-party access to the project’s CCS network.

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Author: Polly Martin