New guidelines for Indian ports mandate the use of renewable energy in port operations, as well as the development of storage, handling and bunkering capabilities for future maritime fuels. All of India’s thirteen major ports must have ammonia bunkering & refueling facilities established by 2035, as well as making efforts to retrofit port crafts to run on future fuels.
Although a globally significant ammonia producer, India still relies on ammonia & fertilizer imports to support its agricultural sector. In our recent episode of Ammonia Project Features, we explored the potential of domestically-produced renewable ammonia to both replace these imports and position India as an ammonia energy giant. Excellent solar PV resources, plentiful government support and access to “round-the-clock” renewables were all highlighted as key drivers for India to meet its renewable ammonia potential.
UAE-based Ocior Energy will invest $4.86 billion each into two separate, million tonne-per-year renewable ammonia projects in India: one in Andhra Pradesh, the other in Gujarat. Last December, Ocior also signed an MoU to develop a green fuels project in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
India-based Essar Group will invest $2.4 billion on low-carbon projects at the Stanlow refinery complex near Liverpool, UK. As part of this investment, Essar and Stanlow Terminals will jointly develop an ammonia import terminal. The site will feature deep-water access, cracking facilities and the capacity to handle more than one million tonnes of ammonia imports per year from Gujarat, India.
Momentum is building to establish a domestic renewable ammonia sector in India. To explore opportunities and outline key next steps, we are joined by ACME Group, University College London, and the India Hydrogen Alliance.
ACME and IHI will assess the feasibility of potential joint projects in the ammonia energy space, including production, transportation, distribution, and power generation. Also this week, IHI and GE have presented their findings from an ammonia-powered gas turbine feasibility study, with some favorable fuel economics for ammonia.
India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission includes more than $2 billion in direct government subsidies for both electrolyser manufacturing & the domestic production of electrolytic hydrogen using renewable electricity. On the ammonia front, ammonia-based fertiliser imports are set to be completely replaced by domestic production in 2034-5, and all major Indian ports will be required to establish ammonia bunkering & refueling facilities by 2035.