KBR has been selected as technology provider for two future production projects in Texas and Washington state. At the Port of Galveston, Texas Green Fuels has begun pre-FEED work and sourcing renewable electricity for its fuels export complex. And in Nova Scotia, Bear Head Energy has received environmental approval to proceed with its 2 million tonnes per year production project near Point Tupper.
Although a globally significant ammonia producer, India still relies on ammonia & fertilizer imports to support its agricultural sector. In our recent episode of Ammonia Project Features, we explored the potential of domestically-produced renewable ammonia to both replace these imports and position India as an ammonia energy giant. Excellent solar PV resources, plentiful government support and access to “round-the-clock” renewables were all highlighted as key drivers for India to meet its renewable ammonia potential.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute report that ammonia was successfully used as a reductant to convert iron ore to sponge iron in a laboratory-scale reactor. The direct use of ammonia effectively offers a “process shortcut” in green steelmaking, removing the need for ammonia cracking or the extra costs associated with the transport & storage of hydrogen.
Peak industry body Hydrogen Europe has released a new report on the potential of clean ammonia production & utilisation in Europe. Although the introduction of renewable hydrogen feedstock presents an obvious opportunity to decarbonise the ammonia industry in Europe, the potential downstream applications of ammonia energy are being neglected by policymakers - particularly power generation and maritime fuel.
The coalition of industry first-movers has announced three new members and an expanded target for electrolyser deployment (45 GW amongst its members by 2026). Ammonia energy players Power2X, Hy Stor Energy and ReNew Power all joined last month.
OCI Global will supply clean ammonia to Korea from this year as part of a new agreement with Lotte Fine Chemical. The pair will also develop a global ammonia bunkering network by leveraging their existing infrastructure. Meanwhile, CF Industries and Lotte Chemical will explore new opportunities for clean ammonia production on the US Gulf Coast, as well as long-term off take to South Korea.
Through its ammonia FPSO vessel project, SwitcH2 expects to start producing ammonia offshore 2028, while Louis Dreyfus Ports and Logistics’s “FRESH” mobile ammonia terminal concept is expected to become commercial by 2025. Recently awarded AiPs affirm the technical feasibility of both designs.
Masdar joint venture Infinity Power, Germany-based Conjuncta and the government of Mauritania have agreed to develop an export mega-project. Up to 8 million tonnes per year of renewable fuels of non-biological origin will be produced for export to Germany. In Egypt, Masdar’s two million tonne per year ammonia fuel project on the Suez Canal has been fast-tracked via a “golden license”.
UAE-based Ocior Energy will invest $4.86 billion each into two separate, million tonne-per-year renewable ammonia projects in India: one in Andhra Pradesh, the other in Gujarat. Last December, Ocior also signed an MoU to develop a green fuels project in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Mitsui OSK Lines, Mitsubishi, Chiyoda and the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand will work together to build a clean hydrogen & ammonia value chain, with production based on renewable energy generation in southern Thailand. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the official launch of the Asian Zero Emissions Community: a new region-wide initiative to drive the energy transition in Asia.