EQT, Equinor, Shell Polymers and US Steel to Participate in Appalachian Hydrogen & Carbon Capture Conference III
Four of the seven members of the consortium founded to make the Pittsburgh region a carbon capture/storage and hydrogen production hub will discuss their efforts in April at the Hydrogen & Carbon Capture Conference.
The day-long event will be held April 21, at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Southpointe. The program is presented by the H2-CCS Network and ShaleDirectories.com.
The roundtable discussion will include representatives from Pittsburgh-based exploration-production giant EQT, Norwegian energy behemoth Equinor, Shell Polymers, which is finishing construction of a world-scale ethane cracker complex northwest of Pittsburgh, and steelmaking icon U.S. Steel.
“Our region has an abundant source of low-cost, low emissions-intensive natural gas which can be converted to low-carbon fuels and used to reduce our country’s carbon footprint. At EQT, we see a significant opportunity to expand beyond our existing business by leveraging this advantage to develop low-carbon fuel production and CCUS opportunities.” said Rob Wingo, EQT Corporation’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Ventures.
“With an abundance of natural resources, industrial capabilities, and a highly-skilled workforce, the Appalachian region is poised to meet America’s energy needs while leading the transition to a low-carbon future,” said Chris Golden, Equinor U.S. Country Manager. “Equinor is committed to achieving net zero emissions, and we’re proud to work together with this alliance of ambitious companies to realize this opportunity.”
The alliance will work with stakeholders on a shared vision for a low-carbon and hydrogen industrial hub in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia that can be a national model for sustainable energy and production systems.
Effective implementation of this industrial hub and its associated infrastructure development could generate thousands of new jobs, protect current jobs, and help achieve significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.
Implementation of said hub and its associated infrastructure development is projected to create thousands of new jobs, protect current jobs, and help achieve reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.
“We are thrilled to have four members of the alliance in a roundtable discussion at our H2-CCS Conference,” said Tom Gellrich Founder H2-CCS Network. “The hub concept will provide the scale and kick start the regions hydrogen and carbon sequestration efforts.”
The alliance is working to establish a network to include industry, labor, universities, communities, government, research institutions, nonprofits, and other groups in their efforts.
Although the alliance has yet to announce specific plans for its efforts, the group certainly will pursue a number of federal funding opportunities that were included in the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021.
A total of $8 billion is directed to fund regional hydrogen hubs, and billions more for CCUS projects. The U.S. Department of Energy will begin taking applications for funding this summer.
There is already a sizable tax credit available to companies that can capture and store carbon, referred to as the 45Q credit, which totals $50 per ton of CO2 put into permanent underground storage.
