Proteum Energy: Leadership Wisdom For A Sustainable Future

Proteum Energy is a sustainable energy solutions company at the forefront of the sustainable energy revolution.  Proteum is the Latin word for hydrogen and Proteum Energy’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy by producing affordable low and negative-carbon intensity renewable hydrogen.  Sustainability is enhanced by leveraging existing energy infrastructure and expertise, local communities, and the growing importance and integration of carbon capture and utilization with Proteum’s partners.

Proteum’s Vision:  Over the next decade to see widespread adoption of low-cost, low-CI regional hydrogen for heavy-duty truck and rail transportation, hydrogen blending for low carbon gas to power, and regional modular production of low-CI ammonia.

Proteum’s Team Values:

SAFETY – Everyone is responsible for safety.  Anyone can stop an unsafe job.

INTEGRITY – Know and do what is right. Learn more.

RESPECT – Treat others the way you want to be treated.

RESPONSIBILITY – Embrace opportunities to contribute. Learn more.

SPORTSMANSHIP – Bring your best every day. Learn more.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP – Serve our customers, our team and the common good.

Larry Tree, Co-Founder / CEO defines his idea of success in leadership as, “actively listening and serving, and treating others like I’d like to be treated. It’s something I personally strive to achieve every day through my words and actions. I recall a quote from Colleen Barrett, President Emerita of Southwest Airlines about creating culture; ‘words create thoughts, thoughts create emotions, emotions create beliefs, beliefs create culture, and culture drives performance.’ I believe the logic behind this statement to be impeccable for any leader in any situation.”

HYDROGEN AND CLEAN ENERGY

Proteum Energy focuses on providing sustainable energy solutions with the goal of leveraging the valuable infrastructure we already have in place.   Larry explains, “The world is in an energy transition. Why not leverage the infrastructure and resources already available to accelerate the transition?  Let’s call it an energy addition!”

Proteum Energy serves clients with low-cost, low to negative carbon intensity hydrogen in three distinct and creative ways:

• Low-cost hydrogen – Proteum leverages regional hydrogen production using a modular approach.  This allows for the optimization of both available and often low-cost price distressed feedstock. Regional production reduces the overall cost of hydrogen transportation, and lower feedstock cost improves the cost per kilogram of hydrogen whether it’s for FCEV, power, or ammonia production. Many future Proteum Energy hydrogen production sites are in economic opportunity zones, providing further support and opportunity for local and regional communities.

• Low to negative produced hydrogen carbon intensity – the Proteum Energy technology leverages the value of the feedstock with LCFS, 45Q, or 45V credits and produces negative CI hydrogen with its ethanol partners that incorporate CCS.  This means taking advantage of the full $3.00/kg PTC in the US, lowering overall hydrogen prices for consumer partners, and supporting regional agricultural communities and producers by leveraging significant purity biogenic CO2 (for CCUS). There is additional optionality for the production of low to negative CI anhydrous ammonia for regional growers.

• Low water and power consumption – Proteum Energy’s proprietary SnMR™ technology consumes up to 40% less water than traditional SMR/ATR and multiple times less water than electrolysis. The system recycles required water and has low power consumption/kg produced, this makes it an environmentally preferred solution in regions where water and power resources have become increasingly scarce.

Sustainability + Profitability = The Way Forward

Larry shares his views on renewable energy economics, “Long-term economics ultimately ‘drive the bus’ for renewable energy development. Short-term, government incentives will certainly help, just like they did for wind and solar.  Profitability without incentives is important for sustainability.  Carbon capture and utilization is the way forward toward sustainability.  The ethanol industry understands this and is already leading the way forward.  Traditional oil and gas producers have seen CCS as an important way to leverage oil production for decades.  That was profitable, but it wasn’t sustainable.  Now, it’s so encouraging to see these producers take on CCS with urgency and vigor.  Proteum partners with ethanol and oil and gas producers and midstream operators for regional production of low and negative CI hydrogen.  We see this as a logical and sustainable way forward and it fits with Proteum’s vision to accelerate the energy transition over the next decade.

The Proteum Movement

Larry’s vision for Proteum Energy is to accelerate the way forward by leveraging what we already have.  He simplifies it stating, ‘Let’s grow where we are planted’ and utilize the resources and assets we already have in place, like low CI agriculture, extraordinary renewable ethanol production and its related ecosystem, and the largest and most efficient energy transfer mechanism in commerce; midstream oil and gas processing and pipelines.”

A CALL FOR ENERGY LEADERS

Larry believes the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” rings true. We need to gather as partners to accelerate the energy transition.  Proteum Energy wants to partner with leaders of all types to accelerate an energy addition.  Specifically, these are leaders in renewable power, renewable ethanol (both producers and growers), renewable and non-renewable ammonia production, committed GHG emissions oil and gas producers and midstream operators, carbon capture and utilization partners, and food grade CO2 off-takers.   And, of course, regionally focused hydrogen offtake partners in liquefaction and heavy-duty transportation, hydrogen gas to power blending, e-methanol producers and low to negative CI ammonia producers and users.