Proposed Corpus Christi Hydrogen Plant Just Another Attempt to Greenwash Fracked Gas

Corpus Christi, TX -- Yesterday, the Port of Corpus Christi announced a plan to convert an existing facility into a hydrogen production plant. The Port claims the project will be carbon neutral, but in fact it will create blue hydrogen, which is made from polluting fossil fuels, and not green hydrogen, which is made from water and can be carbon neutral.

A new study, released yesterday in the Energy Science & Engineering journal, refutes the idea that hydrogen pulled from fracked gas could be considered clean energy, given the amount of methane that is leaked during this process. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas more than 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide. The recent IPCC climate report made it clear that in order to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis, we need to significantly reduce methane emissions. Despite these concerns, hydrogen is gaining popularity as a supposed climate solution in recent months as the industry seeks out new markets for fracked gas. 

“This hydrogen proposal is just another scheme by the industry to extend the life of fossil fuels,” said Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative Roddy Hughes. “Blue hydrogen is just fracked gas by another name, and this proposal would do nothing to solve the climate crisis or alleviate the massive burden of pollution borne by communities in Corpus Christi. The Biden administration must make it clear that they do not support fracked gas infrastructure in any form, including dirty hydrogen.” 

“If the Port of Corpus Christi truly cared about the environment and being a ‘good neighbor’ to the surrounding communities, it would stop leasing land to some of the world’s top polluters and suspend its agreements to export crude oil and LNG,” said Elida Castillo, Texas Program Director for Chispa. “This Howard Energy Partners initiative to produce blue hydrogen is nothing more than an example of greenwashing at its finest.” 

“Our communities already face an overwhelming burden of fossil fuel pollution, and it’s disingenuous to say that building more fossil fuel infrastructure in Corpus Christi will help surrounding communities or the climate,” added Errol Summerlin with Coastal Alliance to Protect our Environment. “We are opposed to any new polluting fossil fuel infrastructure at the Port of Corpus Christi, including dirty hydrogen.”