Major collaborative research study to measure real-world hydrogen emissions

A new international research initiative will measure hydrogen emissions from operating infrastructure in North America and Europe, filling a gap where little empirical data exists today, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

With commercial hydrogen operations poised for global expansion, the new information will help producers, regulators, investors and others understand potential emissions sources and how to address them.

The study brings together four global industry leaders: Air Products, Air Liquide, Shell and TotalEnergies; global not-for-profit, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF); academic scientists from Utrecht University, University of Rhode Island, West Virginia University and Cornell University; and applied research and technology development firms, Aerodyne Research, TNO and Transport Energy Strategies.

The study seeks to quantify hydrogen emissions rates from facilities in the hydrogen value chain, including steam methane reformers, pipelines and compressors, liquefaction facilities, oil refineries, fueling stations, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other hydrogen infrastructure.

Researchers are using the first commercial high-precision, fast hydrogen analyzers and mobile/portable sensing platforms to detect and characterize site-level and component-level hydrogen emissions with accuracy and speed not seen before.

“This study is unparalleled in its scope and approach to achieve truly representative data,” said Dr. Thomas Rockmann, Professor of Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry, Utrecht University. “By combining data gathered directly from operating facilities with expertise shared by operators, our aim is to contribute rigorous, scientific evidence to an environmental issue that remains insufficiently explored and understood.”

Hydrogen, which today is used primarily for refining and chemical production, has seen significant momentum in recent years with potential new applications linked to the energy transition and decarbonization. Over 60 countries have adopted national hydrogen strategies, according to the International Energy Agency, with targets and substantial investments being made to scale up production and develop supporting infrastructure.

While hydrogen holds important potential to contribute to deep decarbonization – particularly in sectors that are difficult to electrify, including heavy industry and long-distance transport – it presents its own emissions challenges that need to be understood and carefully managed to optimize this potential. Studies indicate that hydrogen released into the atmosphere indirectly causes warming through chemical reactions, which can reduce the intended climate benefits of hydrogen deployment if not addressed. Accurate emissions data can better inform sound policies and practices to prevent leaks and other emissions from both existing and emerging hydrogen systems.

“This study will for the first time bring together academia and industry in a collaborative effort to directly measure hydrogen emissions from a range of operational facilities. As hydrogen becomes an increasingly important part of the energy system, developing a robust, data-driven understanding of its emissions is essential to supporting informed decisions and guiding future investments in the sector,” said Steven Hamburg, Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund.

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ExxonMobil was operating the catalytic cracker unit at its 275,000-bpd Joliet, Illinois (U.S.) refinery at reduced rates earlier this week, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The refinery ran its 98,000-bpd catalytic cracker unit at approximately 50% capacity due to unspecified mechanical issues.

"We are conducting maintenance at our Joliet refinery, and we are working to complete it as safely and quickly as possible," an ExxonMobil spokesperson said. They declined to comment on the specifics of operational maintenance.

The company said on Tuesday it was working to resolve an operational issue at the Joliet refinery.

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Phillips 66 is expected to lay off most workers at its 139,000-barrel-per-day Los Angeles-area refinery in December, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company announced in October it would close the facility and begin winding down operations in October 2025. The workforce reduction will begin two months later.

The Los Angeles facility has about 600 employees and 300 contractors. Over half of the employees are hourly workers represented by the United Steelworkers Union.

A few retained workers will be transferred to Phillips 66's Los Angeles marine oil terminal, the sources said.

"Since the announcement was made to idle these facilities, Phillips 66 has stated its commitment to helping employees and contractors through this transition," a Phillips 66 spokesperson said.

The spokesperson declined to comment on plans after the closure of the Los Angeles-area refinery.

Valero Energy VLO.N also announced this year its decision to close the 145,000-bpd Benicia refinery, one of its two remaining refineries in the state.

The two refineries produce roughly 20% of the state’s gasoline supply.

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Hunt Refining has expedited and started maintenance and repairs on the fire-damaged coker unit at its 63,000-bpd petroleum refinery in Tuscaloosa, Alabama last week, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The Tuscaloosa refinery was shut down after a fire broke out at the refinery's coker unit on May 7 as it suffered an external power outage.

The maintenance and repairs on the 32,000-bpd delayed coker unit was previously expected to start in mid-July.
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The Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC), which is 60% owned by Russian petrochemical group SIBUR and 40% by China's Sinopec, expects to produce its first polyethylene in the third quarter of 2026, said the company.

"By the end of this year we will achieve mechanical readiness on two units. These are fully built units at which we have already begun testing and trying out equipment without using feedstock. And next year we plan to arrive at production of commercial product, in the third quarter of next year," AGCC CEO Sergei Sergeyev told reporters, adding that the AGCC is now 76% ready.

The complex will start producing polypropylene in 2027 as previously planned, he said.

AGCC was supposed to be built with the involvement of European companies such as Linde and Technimont. Part of the equipment, including the pyrolysis unit, was built, but in 2022 these companies left the project. SIBUR and Sinopec decided to reconsider the strategy for implementing the project, redesigned it and replaced contractors and license holders for the polyethylene and polypropylene lines.

The project calls for producing 2.3 MMtpy of polyethylene and 400,000 tpy of polypropylene. The complex's construction is synchronized with the gradual ramp-up to full capacity at Gazprom's Amur Gas Processing Plant, which will supply the feedstock, ethane and liquefied petroleum gas.

The AGCC is now scheduled to reach mechanical readiness in 2026, two years later than planned under the previous construction schedule.

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