Element Fuels Completes Site Pre-Construction on Hydrogen-Powered Refinery and Combined-Cycle Power Plant at Port of Brownsville
Element Fuels Holdings, a clean fuels producer, has completed site preparation and pre-construction on a hydrogen-powered refinery and combined-cycle power plant at the Port of Brownsville, Texas.
The Element complex, built on more than 240 acres within the Port, is designed to produce and recycle hydrogen using advanced technologies to generate and deliver cleaner, higher-quality fuels, including high-octane gasoline and electricity for commercial and consumer consumption.
“Element Fuels has received the necessary permitting to construct and operate a refinery capable of producing in excess of 160,000 barrels, or approximately 6.7 million gallons, per day of finished gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel,” said Founder and Co-CEO of Element Fuels, John Calce.
The refinery, designed to process exclusively high-gravity domestic shale oil, is expected to be operational in 2027. It will produce low-carbon-intensity fuels to help reduce carbon emissions.
The facility will also produce enough low-carbon hydrogen to supply approximately 100% of the refinery’s fuel requirements, eliminating CO2 emissions. Any excess hydrogen produced will be used to generate low-carbon, utility-scale electricity from Element’s hydrogen-capable combined-cycle gas turbine power plant.
Over 100 MW of excess electricity generated from Element’s power plant will be provided to the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to support the surrounding community’s needs.
The complex will improve the economy and the quality of life for workforce members and their families by creating new jobs at above-market wages. Element Fuels has contracted with McDermott to provide front-end engineering design services for the facility, including offsites and utilities.
Element Fuels is also working with local and Port officials to advance the Justice40 initiative established by the US Department of Commerce to contribute to a climate-positive environment providing residents of the Brownsville area and Rio Grande Valley with clean energy and affordable and sustainable housing.
