The Ammonia Wrap: World Bank boosts hydrogen and ammonia as future fuels, new coalition for bunker ammonia, and cracking at the Wilhelmshaven hydrogen hub

By Julian Atchison on April 21, 2021

Welcome to the Ammonia Wrap: a summary of all the latest announcements, news items and publications about ammonia energy.

World Bank sees hydrogen and ammonia as key to decarbonising shipping

The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries, a new report from the World Bank
Click to learn more. The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries, a new report from the World Bank.

In its new report, the World Bank identifies hydrogen and ammonia as the most promising zero-carbon bunker fuels. There is also a huge opportunity for new players to become zero-carbon bunker fuel producers for the first time: particularly countries with huge, untapped renewable energy potential like Chile and Morocco. The report also warns LNG is likely to play at-best a limited role in decarbonising the industry, and that new policy support for LNG infrastructure should be avoided. You can tune in to the report’s online launch at 7AM ET, April 23 for thoughts from the authors and key figures in the decarbonisation space.

New coalition for safe ammonia bunkering

The Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub will lead a new effort to understand and guide the safe use of ammonia as a maritime bunker fuel. Quantitative, holistic risk assessments, the optimisation of current vessel designs to mitigate risk and developing best practice safety guidelines are all aims of the new coalition, which also includes A.P. Moller-Maersk, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Line and Total.

Trafigura co-sponsors MAN’s development of ammonia-fueled maritime engines

Trafigura and MAN ES executives at the announcement
Click to enlarge. Trafigura and MAN ES executives at the announcement. Source: MAN ES.

Trafigura, a Singapore-based commodity trader and one of the world’s largest ship charterers, has agreed to support development of MAN’s ammonia maritime engines: the dual-fuel, two-stroke model (to be commercially available by 2024) and the retrofit package to upgrade existing ships (to be ready by 2025).

Cracking plant a feature of the new Wilhelmshaven hydrogen hub

Uniper's coal-fired power plant in Wilhelmshaven will be converted to a "climate-friendly" hydrogen hub from the end of this year
Click to enlarge. Uniper’s coal-fired power plant in Wilhelmshaven will be converted to a “climate-friendly” hydrogen hub from the end of this year. Source: Uniper.

Uniper plans to make Wilhelmshaven a hub for “climate-friendly” hydrogen, abandoning earlier plans for an LNG import terminal there. 410 MW of electrolysers, a green ammonia import terminal and an ammonia cracking facility will be capable of supplying 295,000 tonnes green hydrogen per year, or 10% of Germany’s predicted demand for 2030. The hub will be based around the site of Uniper’s current coal-fired power plant, which will shutter later this year as the organisation pursues its decarbonisation goals.

RWE and H2U to develop global hydrogen trading between Australia and Germany

A visualization of the future Brunsbüttel LNG Terminal, where RWE is already in negotiation to book capacity for the import of Australian green hydrogen in the form of ammonia
Click to enlarge. A visualization of the future Brunsbüttel LNG Terminal, where RWE is already in negotiation to book capacity for the import of Australian green hydrogen in the form of ammonia. Source: RWE Supply & Trading.

A new agreement between German organisation RWE and Australia’s Hydrogen Utility (H2U) will explore the feasibility of green hydrogen export from Australia to Germany in the form of green ammonia.

H2U’s Eyre Peninsula project entered a new phase earlier this month, and the organisation already has green hydrogen production plans for Gladstone, guaranteeing a strong pipeline of green hydrogen supply for any future export market. For their part, RWE are involved in some thirty hydrogen projects, and as part of the new agreement will investigate the use of the to-be-built LNG import terminal in Brunsbüttel for hydrogen and ammonia imports.

Province Resources’ West Australian mega-project grows to 8GW

First reported in an early March Ammonia Wrap, Province Resources’ 1 GW green hydrogen and ammonia project near Canarvon, Western Australia has grown to 8 GW, with French-based Total-Eren coming on board this week for the feasibility phase.

South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap a step closer

Dr Rebecca Masemurule has been Chief Director for Hydrogen and Energy for five years, and is a key figure in South Africa's green hydrogen push
Click to enlarge. Dr Rebecca Masemurule has been Chief Director for Hydrogen and Energy for five years, and is a key figure in South Africa’s green hydrogen push.

And a quick update from South Africa, where the government’s Chief Director for Hydrogen and Energy Dr Rebecca Masemurule confirmed that a “Hydrogen Society Roadmap” will be presented to cabinet late this year or early next. Dr Masemurule emphasized that “getting the regulatory support in place quickly” would put South Africa in the best position to take advantage of its enormous sustainable fuel production potential (particularly green ammonia).

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