Eleven companies have expressed interest in working with ExxonMobil on its massive carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in Houston, according to backers of the project.
Calpine, Chevron, Dow, ExxonMobil, Ineos, Linde, LyondellBasell, Marathon Petroleum, NRG Energy, Phillips 66, and Valero will discuss plans to deploy CCS technology on electricity generation and manufacturing facilities in the Houston Ship Channel.
“Houston can achieve our net zero goals by working together, and it’s exciting to see so many companies have already come together to talk about making Houston the world leader in carbon capture and storage,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
“We’re reimagining what it means to be the energy capital of the world, and applying proven technology to reduce emissions is one of the best ways to get started.”
ExxonMobil said discussions with other companies could lead to future support that could help the city reach its ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2050.
The project, as outlined when announced in April, would capture up to 50 million tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide by 2030 and 100 million tpa by 2040.
The 11 companies could help capture 75 million tpa of CO2 by 2040 if CCS is fully implemented at the facilities they operate.
"Carbon capture is a bridge to the energy future," said Phillips 66 vice president of emerging energy Heath DePriest.
"The energy industry includes some of the brightest scientific and technical minds in the world today, and it will take all of us working together to achieve a lower-carbon future.
"This is a big opportunity for Houston to cement its status as the past, present and future energy capital of the world.”
When the project was announced, analysts pointed to industry support as a must-have for a project of the scale ExxonMobil is targeting, which is massive compared to other CCS projects around the world.
“Working with our industrial and regulatory partners in this energy-rich region is a critical component of assuring long-term, reliable fuel supplies for a sustainable, energy-diverse future," said Tim Aydt, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of MPLX LP, a master limited partnership sponsored by Marathon Petroleum.
