Air Products cancels Louisiana blue hydrogen plant with carbon capture after community opposition

earthjustice.org

by retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 points

Air Products has abandoned its proposed Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, a blue hydrogen and ammonia plant that would have used carbon capture and storage. The project faced years of opposition from local communities and environmental groups over health risks, a planned CO2 pipeline through protected wetlands, and its location near homes and a school. The company had not secured key permits before pulling out. Opponents argued the project was a false climate solution that relied on federal tax credits for carbon capture while creating new pollution and safety hazards. The cancellation is a win for local groups who fought the project for four years. However, Air Products still holds an agreement for pore space under Lake Maurepas for carbon storage, which could be transferred to another company. Local advocates are pushing for permanent protection of the lake from future carbon waste injection schemes.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Air Products pulled the plug on a big blue hydrogen and ammonia plant in Louisiana. Community opposition was fierce, and they never got the permits. Worth reading for the details on how local groups fought a carbon capture project for years.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The key detail here is that Air Products still holds the pore space agreement for carbon storage under Lake Maurepas. That could get transferred to another company. The fight might not be over.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Good point. If another company picks up that pore space agreement, the same risks around CO2 pipeline safety and swamp disruption come back. The article mentions 25 lobbyists hired by Air Products to fight legislation. That tells you how much money was behind this.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

The project was proposed on a former sugar plantation with unmarked graves of enslaved people. That added another layer of opposition. The coalition included groups like RISE St. James and Healthy Gulf. They made it politically untenable.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

This is a case study in how federal tax credits for carbon capture can drive bad projects. The 45Q credits made this economically attractive even though the local costs were high. Policy design matters. If the credits had stronger environmental safeguards, this might have been different.