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GALWAY, IRELAND--March 23, 2021--Written by Martin Lynch, European News
Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Chemical major Yara International (Oslo, Norway) has signed a deal with Statkraft (Oslo) and Aker Horizons (Oslo) to build what it hopes will be Europe's first large-scale green ammonia project, located in Norway.
The company, which is the world's largest supplier of mineral fertilizer, has committed to electrify and decarbonize its ammonia plant in Porsgrunn. The goal is to fully remove CO2 emissions from ammonia production in order to make emission-free fuel for shipping, carbon-free fertilizer and ammonia for industrial applications. The Yara Porsgrunn Fertiliser Complex integrates an ammonia plant with a capacity of 530,000 tonnes per year, three nitric acid units with a combined capacity of 1.35 million tonnes per year, two NPK units with a combined capacity of 2 million tonnes per year, and two calcium nitrate (CN) units with a total capacity of approximately 1 million tonnes per year. The Power-to-X plant conversion has the potential to become one of the largest climate initiatives in Norway's industrial history, targeting annual CO2 reductions of 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the emissions from 300,000 passenger cars. Production from the electrified ammonia unit would be roughly 500,000 tonnes per year of green ammonia. Assuming funding can be realized with help from the government, the project could be up and running in five to seven years, Yara said.
Statkraft will supply wind power to the new plant to replace gas-fired power currently in use. Since 2019, Yara has been working with Nel ASA on a pilot water electrolyzer technology project at Porsgrunn. The capacity of the electrolyzer will be 5 megawatts (MW), corresponding to 1% of the hydrogen production in Porsgrunn. It is expected to be installed in 2022. Industrial Info also is tracking a Phase II project with Nel that will see the addition of a bigger 20-MW electrolyzer.
"This is not just a unique decarbonization project, but a strategic investment that can establish new value chains for green hydrogen and green ammonia," said Svein Tore Holsether, president and chief executive officer of Yara. "Yara is a world leader in ammonia, with long experience and leading position within global ammonia production, logistics and trade. With Statkraft and Aker Horizons onboard, we gain key expertise within renewable electricity, power markets, industrial development and project execution, giving us a unique opportunity to realize the project."
Øyvind Eriksen, president & chief executive officer of Aker ASA added: "The first project in Porsgrunn can be a lighthouse project -- providing competitive advantage in a growing global hydrogen economy and building on existing capabilities in the Norwegian supplier industry to create new jobs for the future."
Shipping currently accounts for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Yara said, of which long-distance shipping represents 80%. Converting all long-distance shipping to ammonia would require approximately 500 million to 600 million tonnes of ammonia annually, 3-4 times the current world production. Norway's shipping industry has a stated ambition to reduce emissions from domestic shipping by 50% by 2030, which Yara claimed will require significant green hydrogen production.
Industrial Info is tracking all of Europe's major green hydrogen initiatives. At the start of this month, Industrial Info reported that Denmark is also competing to be home to Europe's largest Power-to-X facility following the unveiling of a 1 billion-euro ($1.2 billion) plan. The facility will be built in the town of Esbjerg on the west coast of Denmark and will convert power from offshore wind turbines to green ammonia for use in the agriculture industry, district energy for Esbjerg households and green fuel for the shipping industry. The facility will comprise 1 gigawatt (GW) of electrolysis producing up to 900,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually. The ammonia will be used by the agriculture sector as CO2-free green fertilizer and by the shipping industry as CO2-free green fuel. Industrial Info is already tracking Denmark's first Power-to-X pilot project, the Ramme Grassroot Green Ammonia Pilot Plant in Western Jutland. For additional information, see March 3, 2020, article--Denmark Wants to Build Largest 'Power-to-X' Facility in Europe.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
The company, which is the world's largest supplier of mineral fertilizer, has committed to electrify and decarbonize its ammonia plant in Porsgrunn. The goal is to fully remove CO2 emissions from ammonia production in order to make emission-free fuel for shipping, carbon-free fertilizer and ammonia for industrial applications. The Yara Porsgrunn Fertiliser Complex integrates an ammonia plant with a capacity of 530,000 tonnes per year, three nitric acid units with a combined capacity of 1.35 million tonnes per year, two NPK units with a combined capacity of 2 million tonnes per year, and two calcium nitrate (CN) units with a total capacity of approximately 1 million tonnes per year. The Power-to-X plant conversion has the potential to become one of the largest climate initiatives in Norway's industrial history, targeting annual CO2 reductions of 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the emissions from 300,000 passenger cars. Production from the electrified ammonia unit would be roughly 500,000 tonnes per year of green ammonia. Assuming funding can be realized with help from the government, the project could be up and running in five to seven years, Yara said.
Statkraft will supply wind power to the new plant to replace gas-fired power currently in use. Since 2019, Yara has been working with Nel ASA on a pilot water electrolyzer technology project at Porsgrunn. The capacity of the electrolyzer will be 5 megawatts (MW), corresponding to 1% of the hydrogen production in Porsgrunn. It is expected to be installed in 2022. Industrial Info also is tracking a Phase II project with Nel that will see the addition of a bigger 20-MW electrolyzer.
"This is not just a unique decarbonization project, but a strategic investment that can establish new value chains for green hydrogen and green ammonia," said Svein Tore Holsether, president and chief executive officer of Yara. "Yara is a world leader in ammonia, with long experience and leading position within global ammonia production, logistics and trade. With Statkraft and Aker Horizons onboard, we gain key expertise within renewable electricity, power markets, industrial development and project execution, giving us a unique opportunity to realize the project."
Øyvind Eriksen, president & chief executive officer of Aker ASA added: "The first project in Porsgrunn can be a lighthouse project -- providing competitive advantage in a growing global hydrogen economy and building on existing capabilities in the Norwegian supplier industry to create new jobs for the future."
Shipping currently accounts for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Yara said, of which long-distance shipping represents 80%. Converting all long-distance shipping to ammonia would require approximately 500 million to 600 million tonnes of ammonia annually, 3-4 times the current world production. Norway's shipping industry has a stated ambition to reduce emissions from domestic shipping by 50% by 2030, which Yara claimed will require significant green hydrogen production.
Industrial Info is tracking all of Europe's major green hydrogen initiatives. At the start of this month, Industrial Info reported that Denmark is also competing to be home to Europe's largest Power-to-X facility following the unveiling of a 1 billion-euro ($1.2 billion) plan. The facility will be built in the town of Esbjerg on the west coast of Denmark and will convert power from offshore wind turbines to green ammonia for use in the agriculture industry, district energy for Esbjerg households and green fuel for the shipping industry. The facility will comprise 1 gigawatt (GW) of electrolysis producing up to 900,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually. The ammonia will be used by the agriculture sector as CO2-free green fertilizer and by the shipping industry as CO2-free green fuel. Industrial Info is already tracking Denmark's first Power-to-X pilot project, the Ramme Grassroot Green Ammonia Pilot Plant in Western Jutland. For additional information, see March 3, 2020, article--Denmark Wants to Build Largest 'Power-to-X' Facility in Europe.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
