Catalyzes the adenylation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) to form p-hydroxybenzoic acid-AMP (pHBA-AMP), which is converted directly to p-hydroxybenzoyl-S-FadD22 (pHBA-S-FAdD22) thioester intermediate in a CoA-independent manner by attack of the phosphopantetheine thiol of FadD22. Usually, this intermediate primes the biosynthesis of the phenolphthiocerol (PPOL) by presenting the pHBA starter unit for elongation by Pks15/1, but M.tuberculosis lacks Pks15/1 due to a natural frameshift and thus is unable to produce PPOL. 4-hydroxybenzoate + ATP + holo-[4-hydroxyphenylalkanoate synthase] = 4-hydroxyphenyl-[4-hydroxyphenylalkanoate synthase] + AMP + diphosphate 4-hydroxybenzoate + ATP + H(+) = 4-hydroxybenzoyl-5'-AMP + diphosphate Lipid metabolism; fatty acid biosynthesis. Disruption of fadD22 abolishes the production of PPOL. Belongs to the ATP-dependent AMP-binding enzyme family.