Qatar Energy has laid the foundation stone of its new 1.2 million tons per year ammonia project in Mesaieed Industrial City, south of the capital Doha on the Persian Gulf coast.
ADNOC has announced $2 billion in infrastructure funding for key export enablers in Al Ruwais, including roads and a new port with dedicated chemical terminals. The new port will enable the export of CCS-based ammonia from 2027, with ADNOC’s plant currently under-construction.
In this Technology Insights article, we explore the different technology options for low-emission ammonia production from gas feedstock. What are the different energy, carbon capture, scale and maturity trade-offs that need to be considered? What technology choices are project developers currently making?
In its quarterly earnings call last month, bp unveiled progress in a number of key renewable hydrogen and ammonia projects. To help decarbonise its existing refinery in Castellón, Spain, a bp and Iberdrola-led consortium has taken FID on the HyVal project. bp also revealed that it will take an equity share and act as operator for the HYPORT Duqm project: a GW-scale ammonia export project being developed in southern Oman.
KBR will provide its licensed ammonia synthesis loop technology for a new million ton-per-year ammonia plant in Duqm, Oman. Shell will produce CCS-based hydrogen feedstock at its adjacent Blue Horizons plant, a project launched last year with support from Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals.
Hydrom, Oman’s dedicated government development vehicle for low-carbon hydrogen, has awarded land to two projects. Actis and Fortescue will develop about 4.5 GW of wind and solar energy to power the production of more than 1 million ton tons of ammonia per year. With the same wind and solar energy capacity, EDF, J-Power and Yamna will develop a similarly-sized, 1 million ton per-year ammonia plant.
The pair have signed a firm and binding agreement for the supply of ammonia from ACME’s under-development project in Oman. 100,000 tons per year of RFNBO-compliant, renewable ammonia will be delivered from 2027, feeding into Yara’s global distribution system.
The Bulgarian fertiliser giant will invest €15 million in a 100-strong fleet of ammonia carrying railway cars. Agropolychim anticipates over 250,000 tons per year of low-carbon ammonia from the Middle East to arrive at its import terminal in Varna West.
ACWA Power will develop a 150,000 tonnes-per-year renewable ammonia project in Indonesia, powered by 600 MW of wind and solar energy. The Saudi-based company also commenced construction on the first phase of its 500,000 tonnes-per-year renewable ammonia project in Uzbekistan, and has progressed development of a renewable mega-project near the Suez Canal.
Following a successful engine retrofit, FFI’s dual fuel vessel debuted at COP28 this month. Unable to run on or carry ammonia fuel due to restrictions from local authorities, FFI Chairman Andrew Forrest called for the world’s ports to catch-up to technological progress and update their regulations. FFI will also be a key part of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (one of seven hubs awarded funding by the US DoE), and has added to its vertical integration capabilities with the opening of a new technical innovation centre in the UK.