果酱视频

Air Products' ambitious $4.5 billion blue hydrogen project planned for Ascension Parish is facing significant headwinds, with the company announcing a shift that involves divesting its carbon capture and ammonia production components. The news, delivered by Air Products CEO Eduardo Menezes during a recent quarterly earnings call, casts uncertainty over the project's original scope and timeline.

Menezes stated that the company is actively working to "derisk" the Louisiana venture by concentrating on its core strength: industrial gases. "Regarding the Louisiana project, we are actively working to derisk it, by focusing on the industrial gases portion of the project," he explained. "We announced ongoing discussions to divest the carbon sequestration and the ammonia production elements of this project."

This pivot pushes the earliest potential startup for the facility to 2028 or 2029, contingent on the successful execution of this "derisking strategy." Menezes clarified the company's long-term vision, stating, "To be clear, Air Products is an industrial gases company and does not intend to be a retail marketer of ammonia."

The initial announcement of the massive complex in October 2021, in collaboration with the state governor, painted a picture of economic prosperity for the region, promising 170 permanent jobs with a total annual payroll of $15.9 million. The project aimed to produce blue hydrogen, a process that involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas-based hydrogen production and storing them underground. The captured CO2 was reportedly intended to be transported via pipeline and injected deep beneath Lake Maurepas.

However, the project quickly became a lightning rod for community opposition, primarily due to concerns surrounding the proposed carbon dioxide pipeline and the potential risks associated with underground injection near the sensitive Lake Maurepas ecosystem. Environmental advocacy groups and local residents voiced fears about the impact on property values, land, and water quality.

Kaitlyn Joshua, Gulf Coast Campaigner for the national organization Earthworks, hailed the recent development as a victory for community advocacy. In a news release, Joshua stated that the outcome was "a direct result of community-driven advocacy" and demonstrated "the power of grassroots organizing."

"Louisianans, especially those in frontline communities, are all too familiar with the devastating impact this technology would have on our property values, land and water," Joshua asserted. "We are rejecting industry's newest attempt at greenwashing, which seeks to allow them to continue polluting while vulnerable communities continue to bear the brunt of the harm."

Earthworks reported playing a significant role in collaborating with community members, local leaders, and partner organizations to actively oppose the project's original design. The delay and the company's decision to divest key components can be seen as a direct response to this sustained pressure and the concerns raised by the community.