Singapore-based Aslan Energy Capital has acquired land in Sonora state for a solar-powered hydrogen and ammonia production project, feeding domestic requirements in Mexico. Also amongst Aslan’s portfolio is the ARUN Blue Ammonia project in Aceh Province, near the vital Strait of Malacca international shipping lane.
Hy2gen’s latest ammonia project will feature 200 MW of electrolysers powered by offgrid wind and solar energy, producing 180,000 tonnes of renewable ammonia per year for export to the EU. Local wind developer Mexion Corporation and German development agency GIZ will partner with Hy2gen to proceed with feasibility studies.
Ohmium will deliver electrolysers to Tarafert to integrate into their new build ammonia & urea plant in Durango, northern Mexico. The ammonia plant is CCS-based, but an electrolyser facility & 1 GW solar farm will be built next door to give plant operators two different sources of low-carbon hydrogen feedstock: one CCS-based, and the other solar-based.
A new study from EDF and Ricardo outlines the potential for Mexico to produce, consume and export hydrogen-based fuels like ammonia. Mexico is already positioned on some of the world's busiest shipping routes and has a potentially huge surplus of green power by 2030, presenting a unique opportunity.
During development of the technical aspects of any energy project, a social perspective needs to be considered. Public opinion is going to be a fundamental parameter to determine the role of renewables in the future, with decarbonisation meaning innovation towards a comprehensive plan that involves not only technology but also psychology and how these two can benefit from each other. Due to the importance of understanding public perception of ammonia, Cardiff University conducted a study focused on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, which currently presents high revenues in agriculture and depends on ammonia as a fertiliser. An analysis of stakeholder’s perception of ammonia was carried out to understand the different barriers and drivers of each established group.
The list of investment drivers for building new ammonia plants in the US over the last few years was short, beginning and ending with cheap natural gas. Markets change, however, and the investment drivers for the next generation of new ammonia plants might include low cost electrolyzers, low cost renewable power, carbon taxes, and global demand for ammonia as a carbon-free energy vector. For this to make sense, however, ammonia needs to be produced without fossil fuel inputs. This is perfectly possible using Haber-Bosch technology with electrolyzers, but today's wind and solar power plants exist on a smaller scale than could support a standard (very big) Haber-Bosch plant. So, to produce renewable ammonia, small-scale ammonia production is essential. This time series chart shows the capital intensity of today’s ammonia plants. Together, the data illustrate competitive advantages of alternative investment strategies, and demonstrate a shift away from the prior trend toward (and received wisdom of) monolithic mega-plants that rely on a natural gas feedstock.