CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend area is seeing prime interest from big industrial companies to potentially set up shop. While that’s no surprise, there is one resource that is starting grow in popularity here, ammonia.
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Lea-Der Chen said our area is primed for ammonia processing.
“Corpus Christi, with the natural resources and where are are, just positioned to make a lot of renewable fields,” he said.
When it comes to distinguishing the difference between green and blue ammonia, Chen said it’s easier than you may think.
"So if you want to look at blue, we are rich with natural gas," he said. "If you go with green, you need to have renewable energy sources with various solar, or wind, we have it.”
Former Port of Corpus Christi CEO and Managing Partner at Voyage Energy Partners Sean Strawbridge said Corpus Christi has a lot to offer from an industrial standpoint.
“The large swaths of available land still for development, a fairly robust workforce, both professional and in the trades, deep draft port, the deepest in the entire U.S. Gulf," Strawbridge said.
Ingleside City Manager Brenton Lewis said industry partners have also been knocking on his front door. Recently, city council rejected Enbridge Oils objectionable use permit for the proposed ammonia plant due to environmental concerns. Lewis said he is still waiting to hear back.
“I'm not gonna say it's dead in the water, but they have not approached the city,” he said.
Regardless of location, Chen said that the Coastal Bend is full of limitless potential.
“Whether we go for blue or green, we are in a position to do that,” he said.
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