Tsubame BHB and Brazilian biofuels company Atvos have signed a letter of intent to deploy Tsubame’s smaller-scale ammonia production technology in Brazil, replacing fossil-based fertilizers applied to surrounding agricultural areas.
Brazilian solar developer Solatio has received approval for a 3 GW grid connection, connecting its new hydrogen & ammonia project to Brazil's renewables-dominated northeast grid. FID on the $4.7 billion project is due this year.
AES Chile has submitted its EIA to government authorities for Project Inna, making it one of only a handful of proposed renewable ammonia projects in Chile currently at the key permitting stage. In other news, Mejillones Ammonia Energy will build a new wastewater treatment plant to secure water supplies for its Project Volta, and three mega-projects in the southern Magallanes region have been granted maritime concessions for terminal construction.
The Industrial Transitions Accelerator has chosen Brazil as the first country partner in its “Project Support Programme”. Four renewable hydrogen, ammonia, fertilizer and methanol projects have been selected to receive support in advancing towards FID. Also in Brazil, developers Fuella and Yamna have launched renewable ammonia production projects in the Ports of Pecém and Açu.
A first in the Brazilian market, Yara has commenced the production of biomethane-based nitrate fertilisers at its Cubatão complex, reducing the carbon footprint by up to 75%. The first batch of the low carbon fertiliser has been delivered to coffee farmers in the Cooxupe cooperative.
In the first stage of Project Gaucho, 3 GW of electrolysers will be powered by a 4.2 GW wind farm, leading to the production of up to 1.7 million tons of ammonia per year. RP Global and German development agency GIZ will develop the project, supported by an official German government program for ramping up the nascent hydrogen industry.
Both have announced partnerships and production projects aimed at the decarbonisation of steel production. Utilizing a similar approach from their large-scale ammonia projects, the pair will develop hubs in Mauritania and Brazil, producing hot-briquetted iron for export to Europe.
As shown in the IEA’s recently released Global Hydrogen Review 2024, the cumulative hydrogen production capacity reaching Final Investment Decision has doubled compared to last year. Promisingly, low-emission ammonia comprises a significant portion of both the mature project pipeline and secured offtake volume.
Ammonia developers Prumo and Fuella have secured land in Port do Açu, Brazil for the development of a 400,000 tons per-year renewable ammonia production plant. Set to come online in 2030, the ammonia produced from the integrated facility will be used both locally and for export to Europe.