Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 3 related projects in PECWeb
Plant(s): View 2 related plants in PECWeb
Released June 14, 2023 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--A consortium of Danish companies have teamed up to cooperate on a nuclear-powered ammonia project in Bontang city, Indonesia, that could produce 1 million tonnes of cheap ammonia per year.
Chemical technology company Topsoe, small nuclear reactor developer Copenhagen Atomics, Alfa Laval and Aalborg CSP have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish ultra-low-emission (pink) ammonia production with two state-owned companies, Pupuk Kaltim and Pertamina New & Renewable Energy. Partner Pupuk Kaltim already produces more than 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually at the Kaltim Industrial Complex. The partners said that the resulting fertilizer can support the food consumption for 45 million people in Indonesia, approximately one-sixth of the country's population.
The proposed plant will have an electrolysis capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW) and consist of 25 small modular reactors (SMRs) supplied by Copenhagen Atomics. Topsoe will employ its newly developed electrolysis cell technology, called Solid Oxide Electrolyser Cell (SOEC), which it claims is 30% more efficient at making hydrogen than competing technologies. It will be powered by waste heat from the reactors. The plant will save the emission of 1.7 million tonnes CO2 per year compared to natural gas-based fertilizer production, Topsoe estimated.
Nikolaj Knudsen, head of business development power-to-X, Topsoe, said: "The prospect of contributing to better food conditions for 45 million people in Indonesia, while leaving a close to zero carbon footprint is absolutely amazing. This is a very promising and progressive project, and we are excited to be able to support it." Over the plant's 50-year lifetime, the partners said that it will produce ammonia worth US$25 billion at today's prices.
Copenhagen Atomics will deliver the project's modular thorium molten salt reactors, and according to Thomas Jam Pedersen, chairman of the board and co-founder of Copenhagen Atomics: "The perspective is enormous. Low emission ammonia at a low price helps reduce the world's CO2 emissions, and for our Thorium reactors, that market is a huge opportunity, especially when we can offer a complete plant together with our partners."
Over the next six months, the companies will perform a study on the reactor technology and its proposed efficiency for creating cheap ammonia. Pupuk Kaltim stated: "The study aims to overcome the challenge of energy intensity in producing green ammonia. The study seeks to ascertain whether the use of thorium-based nuclear technology can enable the production of ammonia without the use of hydrocarbon raw materials while remaining competitive in price."
Industrial Info is also tracking Topsoe's involvement in the building of the world's largest SOEC plant in Denmark. The 2 billion Danish kroner (US$284 million) project is the largest investment in the company's 80-year history as it sets out to become a leading player in the provision of hydrogen-production technology in the fast-growing Power-to-X market. The initial plant will have a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW) per year with an option to expand to 5 GW. For additional information, see September 15, 2022, article - Denmark's Topsoe To Build Largest Hydrogen Electrolyzer Plant.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
Chemical technology company Topsoe, small nuclear reactor developer Copenhagen Atomics, Alfa Laval and Aalborg CSP have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish ultra-low-emission (pink) ammonia production with two state-owned companies, Pupuk Kaltim and Pertamina New & Renewable Energy. Partner Pupuk Kaltim already produces more than 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually at the Kaltim Industrial Complex. The partners said that the resulting fertilizer can support the food consumption for 45 million people in Indonesia, approximately one-sixth of the country's population.
The proposed plant will have an electrolysis capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW) and consist of 25 small modular reactors (SMRs) supplied by Copenhagen Atomics. Topsoe will employ its newly developed electrolysis cell technology, called Solid Oxide Electrolyser Cell (SOEC), which it claims is 30% more efficient at making hydrogen than competing technologies. It will be powered by waste heat from the reactors. The plant will save the emission of 1.7 million tonnes CO2 per year compared to natural gas-based fertilizer production, Topsoe estimated.
Nikolaj Knudsen, head of business development power-to-X, Topsoe, said: "The prospect of contributing to better food conditions for 45 million people in Indonesia, while leaving a close to zero carbon footprint is absolutely amazing. This is a very promising and progressive project, and we are excited to be able to support it." Over the plant's 50-year lifetime, the partners said that it will produce ammonia worth US$25 billion at today's prices.
Copenhagen Atomics will deliver the project's modular thorium molten salt reactors, and according to Thomas Jam Pedersen, chairman of the board and co-founder of Copenhagen Atomics: "The perspective is enormous. Low emission ammonia at a low price helps reduce the world's CO2 emissions, and for our Thorium reactors, that market is a huge opportunity, especially when we can offer a complete plant together with our partners."
Over the next six months, the companies will perform a study on the reactor technology and its proposed efficiency for creating cheap ammonia. Pupuk Kaltim stated: "The study aims to overcome the challenge of energy intensity in producing green ammonia. The study seeks to ascertain whether the use of thorium-based nuclear technology can enable the production of ammonia without the use of hydrocarbon raw materials while remaining competitive in price."
Industrial Info is also tracking Topsoe's involvement in the building of the world's largest SOEC plant in Denmark. The 2 billion Danish kroner (US$284 million) project is the largest investment in the company's 80-year history as it sets out to become a leading player in the provision of hydrogen-production technology in the fast-growing Power-to-X market. The initial plant will have a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW) per year with an option to expand to 5 GW. For additional information, see September 15, 2022, article - Denmark's Topsoe To Build Largest Hydrogen Electrolyzer Plant.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
