Maire Tecnimont

Kenya aims to substitute 50% of current, ammonia-based fertilizer imports with locally-produced alternatives, based on the production of electrolytic hydrogen. New guidelines from Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority set carbon intensity thresholds for “green” hydrogen and ammonia, as well as the incentives on offer for project developers. The new launch follows commitments to promote local fertilizer production made by heads of state at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit. We also explore two existing renewable projects in Kenya from Maire Tecnimont and Talus Renewables.

Founding investors including EIT InnoEnergy, Maire Tecnimont, Siemens and Heineken have launched FertigHy - a new consortium aiming to build and operate large-scale fertiliser projects to supply the EU agricultural sector. The first project will be developed in Spain, producing more than one million metric tonnes per year of low-carbon, nitrogen-based fertilisers for the EU market.

Paraguay's National Administration of Electricity (ANDE) signed a new MoU this week with MET Development and FerSam Uruguay to develop a 100% renewable energy-powered fertiliser plant in Alto Paraná. Hydroelectricity from the nearby Itaipu Dam will power green hydrogen production, which will then be utilised to produce ammonium nitrate fertilisers. ATOME Energy also announced plans for a 250 MW green hydrogen & ammonia production plant in the Itaipu Technology Park. Both project fit neatly into Paraguay's green hydrogen national strategy, with an installed electrolyser target of 600 MW set for 2030.

Maire Tecnimont and Greenfield Nitrogen have agreed to develop a green ammonia plant in Iowa, USA. Maire Tecnimont subsidiary NextChem will lead a feasibility study into a 240 tonne per day green ammonia plant based on Stamicarbon's Green Ammonia Technology.

Welcome to the Ammonia Wrap: a summary of all the latest announcements, news items and publications about ammonia energy. There's so much news this edition that we're bringing you two, special Wrap articles. Our first focuses on ammonia production - both existing and new build plants. This week: InterContinental Energy to build 25 GW of green ammonia production in Oman, Cummins and KBR to collaborate on integrated green ammonia solutions, New green ammonia pilot plant for Minnesota, Stamicarbon launches new technology for sustainable fertilizer production in Kenya, Haldor Topsoe and Shchekinoazot to explore ammonia plant decarbonisation in Russia, 1 million tonne blue ammonia per year in Norway and Trammo announces off-take MoU for 2GW AustriaEnergy plant in Chile.

One of the most interesting unanswered questions surrounding green ammonia is this: what about urea? Last month, a major announcement by Stamicarbon ("the world market leader in design, licensing and development of urea plants") implies an answer: in the long-term context of climate change, urea as a fertilizer may simply need to be phased out. Stamicarbon announced its new Innovation Agenda at the company's "Future Day" event in Utrecht in April. Its Innovation Agenda covers three areas: speciality fertilizers, digitalization, and "Renewable production of fertilizer (using wind or solar energy to produce fertilizer)."