CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Oil and natural gas company Enridge held an open house to help familiarize itself with the community and answer any questions on the $3 billion ammonia plant facility that is proposed to come to Ingleside.
The site is slated to go in front of the old former naval base in Ingleside.
Residents gathered at the Humble Community Center in Ingleside, where Enbridge professionals were ready to share information with residents, but not everyone was on board.
"We are really here to see what the community has for us for feedback, get any questions or concerns they might have, take that away and utilize it to make this a greater project on a going forward basis," said Director of Low Carbon Solutions Kevin Ruffatto.
Enbridge is partnering with Yara Clean Ammonia to develop an ammonia production facility, which will be part of the Ingleside Energy Center Enbridge currently operates, with hopes to begin production in 2028.
"Levering our existing asset base, and then the Port of Corpus Christi and the services we can bring to our customers here makes it ideal for our project occur here and meet the demand we are seeing in the low carbon ammonia," he said.
Ruffatto said 95 percent of the carbon dioxide generated from the ammonia production process will be captured and then transported to nearby geologic storage in South Texas. It's also expected to create several local jobs.
"We've got about 75 current employees in the Ingleside area," he said. "This project will actually bring another 75-100 folks. So great opportunities for folks in the area. Careers that are highly sought after and will bring a lot of economic benefit to the area."
The Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association is vocal about its opposition to the plant.
"Why would you have an ammonia plant in Ingleside just up wind of primary school children. And what is the value to us," said Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association President Patrick Nye.
Nye and his organization look into the sciences and methodologies of permits that are taking place in the Coastal Bend. This proposed project being one of them, and he has his doubts.
"There's a lot of things that just don't add up," he said.
Ruffatto said he hopes to be good community partners and plans to come back to visit the community again as the project progresses.
"You can see folks coming in and out," he said. "We are really excited to see the community engaging with us because that really helps us as we go forward."
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