thyssenkrupp to provide technology for UAE’s first green ammonia plant

Green ammonia in Abu Dhabi

As reported at Ammonia Energy in May, Abu Dhabi Ports and Helios Industry are developing the UAE’s first renewable ammonia plant. The 200,000 tonnes per year, green ammonia facility in Abu Dhabi will be powered by a 800 MW solar farm, with Helios investing $1 billion in the plant’s construction. The project has a new partner, with thyssenkrupp signing an agreement to perform a technical feasibility study on a plant based on thyssenkrupp’s electrolysis technology.

M. K. Saiyed, Managing Director of Helios: “This project is another important milestone for in the UAE’s shift to a lower carbon renewable energy future. The new facility will produce green ammonia which is an energy carrier that enables easy transportation of renewable energy e.g. via ship. It can also be used as emission-free transport fuel and in the fertiliser and chemical industries.”

Sami Pelkonen, CEO of thyssenkrupp’s Uhde business unit: “We are very excited to work together with Helios to support the UAE on its way into a sustainable future. In doing so, we are building both on our innovative technology solutions as well as on thyssenkrupp’s regional and local footprint and long heritage as a partner to the region.”

thyssenkrupp press release on the new agreement with Helios, 9 August 2021

Big year for ammonia announcements in the UAE

Ammonia announcements out of Abu Dhabi have come thick and fast in 2021. From a customer & supply chain perspective there’s:

• Itochu purchasing their first blue ammonia shipment from Fertiglobe’s existing ammonia plant (Fertiglobe is a joint venture from ADNOC and global ammonia producer and trader OCI NV),
• state oil organisation ADNOC’s partnership with three private Japanese organisations to explore a blue ammonia supply chain between the two countries, and
• a government-level agreement between ADNOC and Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry (METI) to cooperate on ammonia energy.

And on the production side there’s:

• ADNOC’s proposed one million tonne per year blue ammonia production facility, and of course
• TAQA and Abu Dhabi Ports announcing the development of a 2 GW green ammonia export facility, to be located in the same area at the Helios project.