Equinor and Tallgrass pursue hydrogen/ammonia developments
Equinor has entered into a partnership with Tallgrass, a Kansas-based oil and gas pipeline developer, to pursue North American hydrogen/ammonia investments that could potentially displace one-third of the CO2 pollution caused by cars in either Arizona or Massachusetts, the two partners announced on September 27.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that contemplates joint funding of a FEED study on a major hydrogen production plant and envisions a permanent carbon sequestration system capable of capturing at least 95% of the carbon that will flow from hydrogen output.
Tallgrass and Equinor will assess each potential investment's potential for hydrogen production and revenue, as well as distribution grids to help facilitate broad decarbonisation.
Ammonia is typically used as fertiliser, but can also be used as a carrier for hydrogen. By coupling ammonia with hydrogen production, the partners expect to achieve efficient transportation and storage. They are looking at several regional energy centres across the US as potential locations.
Grete Tveit, senior vice president for low carbon solutions at Equinor, said: “The joint initiative with Tallgrass to launch plans for a large-scale clean ammonia value chain in the US is fully in line with the roadmap of making Equinor carbon neutral by 2050.
“It builds on complementary experience in both companies and the common aspiration to take a leading role in the global energy transition.”
Dustin Bashford, segment president at Tallgrass, said the magnitude of annual emissions reductions from the partners' potential regional energy centres equates to the CO2 pollution created by more than one-third of automobiles, in either Colorado, Arizona or Massachusetts.
Bashford added: "We are pleased to announce these significant initiatives with Equinor and are excited to continue our investments in the next generation of decarbonisation infrastructure.
”Equinor has shown tremendous leadership in global energy development. At Tallgrass, we are equally focused on innovative solutions that propel investment in decarbonisation and renewables and advance solutions that can rapidly expand North America’s clean energy supply chain."