Australia’s national research organisation CSIRO is contributing valuable R&D across the hydrogen and ammonia value chains. At Ammonia Energy APAC 2023, we’ll hear updates on some key ammonia energy projects at CSIRO: small-scale production, combustion engines, and fuel cells, as well as an ongoing partnership with Fortescue Future Industries to develop & deploy metal membrane technology for ammonia cracking systems.
Meet JOGMEC and Tsubame BHB to explore a new CCS-based ammonia production project in Japan, utilising enhanced gas recovery (EGR) for CCS, as well as Tsubame’s alternative technology to Haber-Bosch for ammonia synthesis.
Our last episode of Maritime Ammonia Insights featured new technologies being developed for the emerging offshore ammonia production industry. We explored SBM & Imodco’s jetty-less export terminal, H2Carrier’s P2X Floater vessel and CyaNH3’s FPSO hull design, as well as the unique opportunities on offer for floating ammonia producers.
INPEX has selected Tsubame BHB and Air Liquide as technology providers for the demonstration project, which will utilise autothermal reforming technology and CCS in depleted gas fields to produce around 500 tonnes of ammonia per year. JOGMEC and NEDO are also supporting the project, with the goal of gaining operational experience with CCS in Japan.
The US Department of Agriculture is looking to support small-scale, distributed ammonia & fertilizer production in the US via a new funding program. The Fertilizer Production Expansion Fund aims to help US farmers secure access to cheap, lower-emissions fertilizer, as well as shielding the agricultural industry from price shocks. New & existing projects will be funded to spur competition, with the focus on smaller players.
Recently, KBR launched its Ammonia 10,000 technology for newbuild ammonia plants, tripling the largest available single train capacity to 10,000 metric tonnes per day. In our latest Technology Insights article, we explore the other pieces of the puzzle required for mega-scale ammonia, as well as some updates from the other end of the spectrum, with three distributed, small-scale ammonia synthesis systems under development in North America.
Proton Ventures and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University have signed an agreement to construct a demonstration-sized ammonia production plant at OCP’s existing manufacturing complex in Jorf Lasfar. The 4 tonne per day plant will be powered via an electrical load emulator, simulating the profiles of wind and solar generation at different geographical sites. The facility will act as a “reference unit” and “living laboratory”, allowing scale-up to larger industrial projects, further R&D and training for the future ammonia workforce.
Canada-based Hydrofuel has announced the acquisition of Lumos Laboratories, a Nigerian R&D organisation that has developed technology to convert urine to a hydrogen-rich, flammable gas mixture. The production of hydrogen, ammonia, fertilisers, cooking/heating fuels and electricity generation from Lumos technologies presents an opportunity to improve sanitation & reduce reliance on solid fuels for cooking and heating, and fossil fuels for electricity generation. Under the terms of the acquisition, Hydrofuel will support the commercialisation of this technology.