State regulators have scheduled a public hearing July 29 on a proposed ammonia facility near Corpus Christi, Texas, that could produce up to 800,000 metric tons per year for export.

On June 14, 2024, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) proposed a draft permit for the initial construction of Avina Clean Hydrogen’s Nueces Green Ammonia Plant in Nueces County, Texas. The facility would subject water to electrolysis to produce anhydrous ammonia, used in fertilizer manufacturing and increasingly seen as an alternative fuel.

The facility has faced scrutiny for its purchase of the last available water from the Nueces River – up to 5.5 million gallons per day – in a drought-prone region with stressed water supplies. Officials in Corpus Christi warned in a March 1 memo that the withdrawal “could dramatically increase the potential for scarcity.”

The TCEQ will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. July 29, 2024, at 1213 Terry Shamsie Boulevard, Robstown, Texas 78380. The agency is accepting public comments on the draft permit until July 29, 2024. See the public notice for more information.

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