Green Hydrogen International plans H2 City, Texas-world’s largest green H2 production and storage hub

Green Hydrogen International (GHI) has announced its plan to create the world's largest green hydrogen production and storage hub in South Texas.

Hydrogen City, Texas will be an integrated green hydrogen production, storage, and transport hub growing to 60GW in size and producing over 2.5 billion kilograms of green hydrogen per year. The project is centered around a hydrogen storage facility in the Piedras Pintas Salt Dome located in Duval County. Pipelines will deliver the green hydrogen to Corpus Christi and Brownsville where it will be turned into green ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel, and other products, or delivered by pipeline directly to hydrogen power plants and other users around the state.

The project will be powered by 60GW of behind-the-meter solar and wind power with additional renewable energy drawn from the ERCOT grid during periods of low prices.

"Hydrogen City is a massive, world-class undertaking that will put Texas on the map as a leading green hydrogen producer. Texas has been the world leader in energy innovation for over 100 years and this project is intended to cement that leadership for the next century and beyond," says GHI's founder and CEO Brian Maxwell.

The project will be built in phases with the first phase expected to commence operations in 2026, consisting of 2 GW of production and two storage caverns at the Piedras Pintas salt dome. Access to salt storage is critical to the scaling-up of green hydrogen production as it allows for maximum utilization of electrolysers and serves as a buffer between variable wind and solar production and final delivery of green hydrogen to customers. Eventually, over 50 caverns can be created at the Piedras Pintas salt dome, providing up to 6 TWh of energy storage and turning the dome into a major green hydrogen storage hub, similar to the role Henry Hub plays in the natural gas market.

Negotiations are ongoing concerning end-use options for GHI-produced green hydrogen. These options include:

• Green ammonia for export markets: GHI is exploring the opportunity to export green ammonia to Asia. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) plans to add 30 million tonnes per year of renewable ammonia to the country's fuel mix by 2050. "Japanese and Korean companies are interesting partners for us in this project given their country's desire to shift to green ammonia," says Maxwell.
• Green ammonia for the fertilizer market: Higher natural gas prices have led to skyrocketing fertilizer costs for farmers. Fertilizers produced from green hydrogen can help remove unexpected price volatility.
• Sustainable aviation fuel: GHI is in discussions with potential off-takers of green hydrogen as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). GHI believes Corpus Christi is well placed to become a major SAF production hub.
• Sustainable Rocket Fuel: The company is looking at combining hydrogen with CO2 at the Port of Brownsville to create a green methane rocket fuel for launch operations in South Texas.
• Fuel switching power plants: H2 can also be used as a natural gas substitute at power plants. Over 4 GW of new gas power plants has been proposed in the US that can burn a combination of hydrogen and natural gas.

The plans for Hydrogen City are large enough that eventually, the project could supply multiple types of customers. "We see Hydrogen City becoming one of the largest H2 production centers in the world, supplying many different customers with 100 percent clean H2 fuel," says Maxwell.

According to a top global consulting firm, the market growth for hydrogen will be enormous. A recent sector report estimates annual global sales for hydrogen and related technology at $2.5 trillion per year by 2050.

"Hydrogen City is a project perfectly positioned near low-cost renewable resources, plenty of available lands, salt domes, and proximity to the large energy port of Corpus Christi. It will be a world cost leader and position GHI to take advantage of the growing demand for green hydrogen," says Andy Steinhubl, a former McKinsey Senior Partner and GHI board member.

Australian-based renewable energy developer Energy Estate is assisting GHI on the development of Hydrogen City.