Four "catalytic" projects will provide momentum for the new roadmap, driving the rollout of at least 15 GW of electrolysis capacity between them by 2040. Ammonia is a feature of all these kick-off projects, and the government sees ammonia's primary role in the transition as decarbonising energy-intensive industries in South Africa.
A key green ammonia project was affected by Morocco's suspension of diplomatic relations with Germany in March 2021, and has been forced to proceed slowly, without any interactions with its German partners. The cooperation agreement between phosphate & fertiliser giant OCP, German research institute Fraunhofer and the Moroccan Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) aimed to replicate Fraunhofer's pilot green hydrogen plant in Ben Guerir, Morocco. Although Ireland-based Fusion Fuel stepped into the void with a deal to develop a 183,000 tonnes per year green ammonia plant in Rabat, the transition is far from guaranteed. In his new publication, Professor Michaël Tanchum (Middle East Institute) argues renewable ammonia represents a unique opportunity for Morocco a "vicious" cycle into a "virtuous" one, and should be a priority for the country and the international community.
Hive Hydrogen and Linde will lead the development & construction of a $4.6 billion, 780,000 tonnes per year solar ammonia export facility located next to the Port of Ngqura in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. A dedicated solar farm (with battery storage) will be built nearby and power hydrogen production via electrolysis, air separation and ammonia production via Haber Bosch. Desalinated seawater will be supplied from off-site. Once produced, the ammonia will be stored for export from the adjacent Ngqura Harbour.
A Fertiglobe-led consortium has selected US-based Plug Power to supply 100 MW of PEM electrolysers for a new green ammonia project adjacent to EBIC's ammonia plant in Ain Sokhna, Egypt. At full capacity, the project will generate enough green hydrogen feedstock to produce 90,000 tonnes of ammonia per year. The consortium partners are targeting a start date of 2024 for operations, though enough construction work will be completed at the facility to showcase it at next year's COP.
HYPHEN Hydrogen Energy will develop the first green mega-project in Namibia. The $9.4 billion, 300,000 tonnes per year green hydrogen project will focus on providing green hydrogen & ammonia product to local and global markets. The project site will be located within the Tsau Khaeb national park: a coastal diamond mining area in the Namib desert with world-class onshore wind and solar resources. The site will also have close proximity to both key shipping routes around southern Africa, and key land transport corridors.
This week in Glasgow, CWP Global and the Mauritanian government announced a timeline & production capacity for the mega project. The partners also call for the development of associated decarbonisation projects in Mauritania, helping to develop a local hydrogen & ammonia economy. Announced in June, the Aman project will be located on a 8,500 km2 desert site in the country’s north and be powered by 30 GW of wind and solar capacity.
Australia-based Minbos Resources and Angola's Ministry of Agriculture agreed on a plan to develop green ammonia and fertiliser production in the African country. Powered by the Capanda Hydroelectric Dam, an ammonia & fertiliser production facility will be built within heavy road transport distance of Angola's key agricultural and mining regions. The announcement is one of many in 2021 that focuses on turning existing ammonia importers into producers (and in some cases, export powerhouses!).