The Port of Corpus Christi Authority has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as part of the Port’s commitment to decarbonization and energy transition initiatives.

The agreement between the two parties is intended to advance collaboration between the Port of Corpus Christi, NREL and Port tenants by identifying scalable energy transition and decarbonization projects that require techno-economic-analysis, modeling, testing and validation efforts unique to NREL’s capabilities. The agreement also calls for identifying and pursuing available local, state, federal and U.S. Department of Energy funding opportunities.

“As the leading energy export seaport in the United States, the Port of Corpus Christi is committed to the global energy transition and atmospheric decarbonization objectives by diversifying the energy products that move through our gateway,” said Sean Strawbridge, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. “Partnering with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to cultivate opportunities for applied research and analytics is a logical and pragmatic approach to developing scalable alternative energy sources for export.”

“We look forward to working with the Port of Corpus Christi as they work toward achieving their decarbonization goals and bringing leadership to global energy transition as a significant energy hub,” said Mark Chung, NREL Team Lead for Hydrogen Infrastructure Analysis and the technical lead on the MOU. “NREL brings a deep expertise in energy modeling and analysis to this collaboration that will help the Port, as well as their tenants and partners, as they seek to optimize and de-risk the implementation of emerging energy technologies and strategies.”

The MOU defines a number of shared objectives, including: scalable production, storage, use and export of renewable and/or low carbon intensity energy; integration and de-risking of innovative renewable technologies and production systems that leverage the abundance of solar, wind and other renewable potential in and around the Port of Corpus Christi; and evaluation of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) impacts of energy transition projects on surrounding communities.

“This agreement is another example of the commitment the Port of Corpus Christi has made to become the Energy Transition Port of the Americas,” said Charles W. Zahn Jr., Chairman of the Port of Corpus Christi Commission. “We want to leverage our position of prominence in the global energy economy to drive innovations and investments that will support our customers and the communities we serve.”