The Verdigris Complex renewable ammonia project aims to leverage NextEra’s renewable energy expertise and CF Industries’ experience as a leading ammonia producer to produce zero-carbon fertiliser for US agriculture, boosted by favourable policies included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Flexible ammonia production technology is currently scaling up to meet the challenges of fluctuating electricity feedstock. The ability to ramp down plants to 5 - 10% of their nominal load will minimize the requirement for hydrogen storage buffers and reduce the overall cost of renewable ammonia production. The first demonstration-sized flexible ammonia plants are due to begin operations later this year.
Amp Energy will develop 5 GW of electrolyser capacity in Cape Hardy, South Australia. At full scale the project will produce 5 million tonnes of renewable ammonia per year for export. The precinct has ready access to renewable power, deepwater port infrastructure and undeveloped land.
Learn more about the Villeta Project, currently being developed by ATOME Energy, Casale and URBAS Energy-Ingeser. Surplus hydropower form the Itaipu Dam will be used for renewable ammonia production via electrolysis-based hydrogen.
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.
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.
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.