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Nitrogen+Syngas 394 Mar-Apr 2025

19 March 2025

Fertiglobe expects FID on green ammonia projects soon

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Fertiglobe expects FID on green ammonia projects soon

In its 4Q 2024 results presentation, Abu Dhabi-based Fertiglobe said that it expects to reach a final investment decision (FID) on two clean hydrogen and ammonia projects in the US and Egypt in 2025. Fertiglobe confirmed that FID on the ADNOC-ExxonMobil low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia project in Baytown, Texas, is expected in 2025, with operations anticipated to begin in 2029. ADNOC’s 35% equity stake in the project will be transferred to Fertiglobe at cost once the project is operational.

An FID for the Egypt Green Hydrogen project is also expected in the first half of 2025, backed by demand and pricing support from H2Global, according to Fertiglobe. The project will feature a 100 MW electrolyser facility, producing renewable hydrogen as feedstock for approximately 74,000 t/a of renewable ammonia at Fertiglobe’s existing ammonia facilities in Ain Sokhna, Egypt. Production is scheduled to commence in 2027.

Meanwhile, construction of a 1.0 million t/a blue ammonia facility in the UAE began in Q3 2024, with operations set to start in 2027. A preliminary life cycle assessment study estimates that Phase 1 of the plant will produce ammonia with 50% lower carbon intensity compared to conventional methods. In its second phase, the facility aims to further reduce carbon emissions through CO₂ capture and sequestration. Fertiglobe currently holds a 30% stake in the project and will consolidate ADNOC’s share at cost upon start-up, increasing its ownership to 54%.

Latest in Africa

Green ammonia for Morocco

H2 Global Energy says that it has completed initial studies for the development of a green hydrogen and ammonia plant in southern Morocco. With an anticipated production capacity of 1.0 million t/a of green ammonia, the project aims to use Morocco’s abundant solar and wind resources to produce green hydrogen, which will then be converted into green ammonia. Production is expected to be used in various sectors, including agriculture, transportation, and energy storage, supporting the global shift towards decarbonisation.

MOPCO lines up thyssenkrupp to lower carbon intensity of production

thyssenkrupp Uhde says that it has been selected by MOPCO – the Misr Fertilizers Production Company – to supply advanced technology for three existing ammonia and urea plants in Damietta, Egypt, to improve the sustainability of production. Using an innovative carbon capture and usage (CCU) solution, the aim is to remove up to 145,000 t/a of CO2 from the flue gas of the existing ammonia production and use them to boost urea production. At the same time, three 150 t/d axial-radial flow uhde® ammonia converter cartridges using JM’s high performance KATALCOTM 74-1catalyst will be installed in the existing converters to increase ammonia production capacity while lowering natural gas consumption in the synthesis loop by around 10%. To bring down CO2 emissions further, additional green hydrogen feedstock will be sourced from new water electrolysis units powered by renewable energy. MOPCO plans to produce up to 150,000 t/a of green ammonia.

Toyo to license new large scale urea plant

Toyo Engineering Corporation (TEC) will license its ACES-21 urea technology to Angolan fertilizer producer Amufert for the Soyo urea plant in Angola. The plant will have a capacity of 4,000 t/d and will be the first of its kind in the country, based on abundant local natural gas supplies. Toyo Engineering will supply licensing, basic design, certain equipment procurement and technical services, while international engineering company Wuhuan Engineering will lead the engineering, procurement and construction of the plant. Production is expected to start in 2027. KBR was previously awarded the license for the 2,300 t/d ammonia plant in November 2024 (see Nitrogen+Syngas 393, Jan/Feb 2025, p6).

Major phosphate expansion announced

Chemical Industries of Senegal (ICS) has launched two projects to increase phosphate fertilizer production in the country. At a company event, new managing director Mama Sougoufara said that between 2014 and 2023, ICS has expanded production to 2 million t/a of phosphate rock, 600,000 t/a of phosphoric acid, and 250,000 t/a of phosphate fertilizer. The new expansions, with a price tag put at $475 million, include a plant at Mbao to increase fertilizer output from 250,000 t/a to 600,000 t/a, as well as a new phosphate rock processing plant, increasing output by 300,000 t/a. The company has seen its financial situation improve in recent years thanks to its takeover by the Indorama Group, though the Senegalese government retains a 15% stake.