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?
BASF has successfully delivered its first shipment of BMBcertTM grade ammonia to Evonik. Produced via a “biomass balanced approach”, the ammonia will be used by Evonik to manufacture a range of products, including resins, paints, shoe soles, and gas pipes.
Air Liquide will invest up to $850 million to build, own and operate four large air separation units as part of ExxonMobil’s low-carbon hydrogen project in Baytown, Texas. The units will provide nitrogen and oxygen feedstocks to ExxonMobil, which will be used to produce low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia.
ISCC PLUS-certified renewable ammonia from Fertiglobe will be used in a low-carbon laundry powder demonstration project by Unilever in India. In Germany, bio-ammonia produced by OCI Global (also ISCC PLUS-certified) will be used to produce methylmethacrylate, a key feedstock in PLEXIGLAS® production. The two announcements join a number of supply chains which have now incorporated low-carbon and renewable ammonia.
This session of our 2023 annual conference explored the need for high quality data as an input to ammonia certification. The panel featured Jennifer Beach (Starfire Energy), Lara Owens (MiQ), Jim Seely (Authentix), Selim Sevikel (Global CCS Institute), and Rajiv Sabharwal (Bureau Veritas).
This issue is a key focus for the AEA, as our under-development ammonia certification system will require auditable data from a host of stakeholders – including gas and electricity suppliers, CO2 offtakers, and others – in order to calculate a true and trustworthy carbon footprint.
DECHEMA and Fertilizers Europe recently released a new report detailing how & where the European fertilizer industry can decarbonize leading up to 2030. Technology options for CO2-emission reduction of hydrogen feedstock in ammonia production explores decarbonization pathways including energy efficiency improvements, carbon capture & sequestration, renewable hydrogen feedstock and grid-based electrolysis. It proposes a detailed roadmap towards 19% emissions reduction from the EU fertilizer industry by 2030, and – looking ahead to 2050 – forecasts the almost complete decarbonization of the industry, via zero-carbon electricity generation in the EU and the growth of renewable hydrogen production. With the right policy & regulatory levers in place, Fertilizers Europe believes there is no reason the transition cannot happen faster.