Riverview Energy Corp. has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, which includes the Dale, Indiana, hydrogen-fueled plant. It plans to use diverse electric-energy sources, such as renewable-generated electricity from regional providers, work with contract services that use carbon-free methods and sources, invest in carbon offset options, and adopt emerging technologies that will take the operation from a gray-hydrogen process to green-hydrogen over the next three decades.
“We have a very real opportunity to make our operations carbon neutral through a range of measures over the next 29 years,” President Greg Merle said. “In fact, the carbon-based portion of our fuel-conversion process, in which we use high-sulfur coal in a noncombustible method, is already CO2 free. Our biggest target will be to focus on other pieces of the operation, and we have clear-cut paths to make that happen.”
Riverview Energy said it is on track to contribute significantly to the green-hydrogen economy with the first U.S. direct carbon-hydrogenation refinery, which will produce ultra-low-sulfur diesel that is 30% cleaner than the ULSD standard. The Dale plant will be the first greenfield refinery permitted in almost 50 years.
“We are forerunners, as our Dale project proves even at this stage — being the first to use a carbon asset in a clean process to develop a cleaner end-use fuel,” Merle said. “So, we have the ideal mind-set from the start to bring emerging technologies on board our operations in the near- and longer-term future, and further cut our carbon footprint.”
The Dale plant will have a significantly low carbon footprint, and nothing will go to waste because all of the plant’s products will be marketable, the company said. With the direct carbon-hydrogenation process, coal particles are processed via a carbon dioxide-free method that does not burn or gasify the coal. From there, the particles are hydrogenated in a closed system at high pressure and temperature.
The company said it plans to build more plants in the future.
