In our September episode of Ammonia Project Features, Pupuk Kaltim and Copenhagen Atomics joined us to explore their new, nuclear-powered ammonia project in Bontang, East Borneo. Cophenagen’s Thorium-fed, Onion Core® reactor design will be integrated with solid oxide electrolysers and an existing ammonia synthesis loop to produce more than one million tonnes per year of low-carbon ammonia.
Meet Pupuk Kaltim and Copenhagen Atomics to learn more about their nuclear-powered ammonia production project in Bontang, Indonesia. At full scale, the plant will feature 1 GW of solid oxide electrolysis capacity, 25 modular thorium molten salt reactors, and the production of one million tons of ammonia per year.
A consortium of Danish and Indonesian companies - including Topsoe, Copenhagen Atomics, Pupuk and Pertamina - will collaborate to develop a 1 million tonnes per year, nuclear-powered ammonia project for fertiliser production in Bontang, Indonesia. Copenhagen Atomics’ thorium molten salt reactors will power 1 GW of solid oxide electrolysis capacity.
Solid oxide electrolysis has recently gained traction, and is fast becoming an attractive technology option for new ammonia production projects. This week we will explore a recent ISPT report, the scale-up of Topsoe’s manufacturing capacity, and several project announcements.
The potential for nuclear-powered ammonia production is developing fast. Two seperate industrial consortia (Copenhagen Atomics, Alfa Larval & Topsoe, and KBR & Terrestrial Energy) have formed to develop thorium-fueled reactors, and hydrogen & ammonia production is a key part of their plans. Given nuclear electricity dominates France’s energy mix, a grid-connected electrolyser project at Borealis’ fertiliser production plant in Ottmarsheim, France will be one of the first examples of commercial-scale, nuclear-powered ammonia production. And, while capital costs & lead times remain significant, mass production of new technologies and research into flexible power production capabilities are emerging as key to unlocking nuclear-powered ammonia production.