The Worley Baytown hydrogen facility is a low carbon hydrogen and ammonia plant planned for ExxonMobil’s refining and chemicals complex in Baytown, Texas, where Worley was engaged for enabling works, infrastructure and interconnects. ExxonMobil has since paused the project indefinitely, with chief executive Darren Woods citing weak customer demand, high production costs and a shrinking window for the federal 45V clean hydrogen tax credit.
Worley Baytown Hydrogen Facility Contract Remains Conditional on a Final Investment Decision
Worley’s contract was always subject to a final investment decision that ExxonMobil has yet to reach, so the pause leaves the scope of work undisturbed rather than cancelled. The setback fits a wider retreat from blue hydrogen, echoing LITEON’s unrelated but concurrent $919 million McKinney, Texas manufacturing investment, which shows capital continuing to flow into Texas even as energy megaprojects like Baytown stall on policy and demand uncertainty.
Project Overview
- Project Name: ExxonMobil Baytown low carbon hydrogen and ammonia facility
- Location: Baytown, Texas, adjacent to ExxonMobil’s existing refining and chemicals complex
- Project Value: Estimated at around $7 billion, per reporting from InnovationMap
- Client or Owner: ExxonMobil
- Main Contractor: Worley, engaged for enabling works, infrastructure and interconnects
- Key Components: Planned capacity of 1 billion cubic feet of hydrogen per day and about 1 million tonnes of ammonia annually, with over 98 percent carbon dioxide capture
- Procurement Model: Reimbursable EPC contract, conditional on a final investment decision
- Current Status: Paused indefinitely as of November 2025 due to insufficient offtake demand and cost pressures
- Strategic Impact: Would have been the world’s largest facility of its kind had it proceeded to construction
Project Team
- Client or Owner: ExxonMobil
- Main Contractor: Worley
- FEED Contractor: Technip Energies
- Equity Partner: ADNOC, holding a 35 percent stake
- Offtake Partners: Marubeni Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation
- Infrastructure Partner: Air Liquide, for air separation units and hydrogen transport
Reported 17th December 2024: ExxonMobil has awarded Australia-based Worley a major EPC Contract on World’s Largest Hydrogen Facility (Engineering, Procurement and Construction). This will foresee the development of the largest a hydrogen and ammonia plant in the United States.
This upcoming mega hydrogen facility will be constructed adjacent to the ExxonMobil’s chemicals and refining complex in Baytown, Texas.
Key Timelines Regarding the Project
Last week, ExxonMobil revealed that if everything adds up together as intended, a final investment decision could be taken in the year 2025. Additionally, the potential to start operations on the project have been projected at the year 2029.
However, this contract awarded to Worley is subject to a final investment decision. Furthermore, it is also subject to “supportive government policy and also the necessary regulatory permits.”
Also read: Plans in for construction of an underground hydrogen storage plant in Utah
Capacity of the Project
According to ExxonMobil, this planned facility will be unique as it will be the world’s largest of its kind upon operations Commencement. Additionally, it will have the capability of producing up to 1 billion cubic feet of hydrogen daily. This hydrogen will have about 98% of carbon dioxide removed. Moreover, it will be able to produce one million tonnes of ammonia every year.
Cost of the EPC Contract on World’s Largest Hydrogen Facility
However, the cost of the contract was not revealed. Chris Ashton who is the chief executive of Worley stated:
“We continue our strategic and global relationship with ExxonMobil in its delivery of upcoming projects. This is especially in delivering this mega project on the US Gulf Coast. This will indeed strengthen significantly the backlog of Worley.”
Also read: Plans underway for construction of AES green hydrogen facility in Texas, USA’s largest of its kind
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