US carbon capture proposal

The ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions business said a multi-user carbon capture and storage hub established by the US along the Houston Ship Channel, where the Port of Houston is situated, could effectively capture all the CO2 emissions from the petrochemical, manufacturing and power generation facilities located there.

“CCS is one of the few proven technologies that could enable some heavy-emitting sectors to decarbonize, such as manufacturing and heavy industry,” said ExxonMobil. “We’ve been studying the concept of multi-user CCS zones in major industrial areas that are located near safe geologic storage sites. We believe the Houston Ship Channel is ideally suited for a CCS project of this magnitude, and ExxonMobil is well-placed to help lead this challenging, complex project.”

100m CO2 tonnes a year

A Houston Ship Channel CCS hub has the potential to capture and store 100m metric tonnes of CO2 a year by 2040, said ExxonMobil. This is equal to taking 1 in every 12 US cars off the road, is more than seven times the amount of carbon currently being captured across the US and is equal to the CO2 sequestered by 120m acres of forest.

The CO2 would be piped into natural geologic formations thousands of feet under the sea floor, explained Joe Blommaert, president, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions.

To make this concept feasible, ExxonMobil said government incentives are needed, alongside investment from government and the private sector, new policies and regulations to encourage innovation and community support.