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.

Spanish energy & chemicals giant Cepsa has announced two new, significant ammonia partnerships this week. Cepsa will supply renewable ammonia imports to ACE Terminal in Rotterdam from 2027, realizing the vision for a green maritime corridor between the Netherlands and the Mediterranean. And, together with Fertiberia, Cepsa will develop a 1 GW renewable hydrogen plant near the La Rábida energy park. The plant will produce hydrogen feedstock for Fertiberia’s Palos de la Frontera ammonia & fertiliser manufacturing complex, and Cepsa’s own industrial needs in the area.

Electrolysis-based ammonia production peaked worldwide around 1970, before the economies of scale and cheap gas feedstock led to its decline. With decarbonization and climate-neutral industrial processes now a critical priority, electrolysis-based ammonia production has re-emerged as a long-term solution. From a base of 10,000 tonnes per year worldwide production in 2020, as much as 100 million tonnes per year of electrolysis-based ammonia could be produced by the end of this decade, driven by a dramatic roll-out of renewable energy generation and installed electrolyzer capacity.

For the latest episode of Ammonia Project Features, we explored the ongoing renewable ammonia project in Puertollano, Spain. Marc van Doorn (Grupo Fertiberia) and Imanol Arrizabalaga Prado (Nel ASA) discussed progress to date and technologies used at the first large-scale, electrolysis-based hydrogen facility in Europe, which is operated by renewable energy developer Iberdrola. We also considered what other pioneering projects are on the horizon, and how can electrolyzer manufacturers like Nel scale-up to meet growing demand?

DECHEMA and Fertilizers Europe recently released a new report detailing how & where the European fertilizer industry can decarbonize leading up to 2030. Technology options for CO₂-emission reduction of hydrogen feedstock in ammonia production explores decarbonization pathways including energy efficiency improvements, carbon capture & sequestration, renewable hydrogen feedstock and grid-based electrolysis. It proposes a detailed roadmap towards 19% emissions reduction from the EU fertilizer industry by 2030, and – looking ahead to 2050 – forecasts the almost complete decarbonization of the industry, via zero-carbon electricity generation in the EU and the growth of renewable hydrogen production. With the right policy & regulatory levers in place, Fertilizers Europe believes there is no reason the transition cannot happen faster.

Three key first-movers at Ammonia Energy - NEOM, Yara and Fertiberia - have all made significant steps towards green ammonia production in recent times. With the launch of a new subsidiary to develop hydrogen & ammonia production, NEOM can possibly begin construction of its green hydrogen plant this month. Also this week, Yara held a groundbreaking ceremony at Heroya, with the intention to bring green ammonia and fertilisers to market by mid-2023. And a few months ago in December, green hydrogen storage tanks arrived at Fertiberia’s Puertollano ammonia plant, ready for installation.

ArcelorMittal, Enagás, Grupo Fertiberia and DH2 Energy will lead development of the world's largest integrated renewable and competitive hydrogen hub in northwest Spain. Production is due to begin in 2025, with the full-sized project reaching 9.5 GW of solar power and 7.4 GW of installed electrolysers by 2030.

Amongst other uses, green hydrogen from HyDeal España will be used to make green ammonia for Fertiberia’s nearby fertiliser production plant in Avilés. This means that four out of Fertiberia’s ten Spanish production centers all have green ammonia projects in progress.

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Fertiberia and Vestas will partner with Enagás (who own Spain's national gas grid) & Naturgy (a Spanish gas & electricity utility) to develop a hydrogen and ammonia mega project in the Aragon region, Spain. At full size, 5 GW of combined wind & solar generating capacity will power 2 GW of electrolysers that produce around 160,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. Construction of Phase I is due to start at the end of 2023, and includes plans for a state-of-the-art green ammonia production facility that will feed Fertiberia's existing fertiliser plant in Sagunto.

Grupo Fertiberia will work with the local government of Norbotten Region, Sweden to develop of a EUR 1 billion green ammonia & fertiliser plant. Powered by a mixture of wind and hydropower, Project "Green Wolverine" will feature 600 MW of electrolysers and produce 500,000 tonnes per year of carbon-free ammonia.

In the coming weeks new piping infrastructure will be built to connect Fertiberia's Puertollano ammonia production plant and 20 MW of on-site (but to-be-installed) electrolsyers.

Welcome to the Ammonia Wrap: a summary of all the latest announcements, news items and publications about ammonia energy. This week: a 30 GW Power-to-X project in Mauritania, green hydrogen and ammonia in Egypt, €8 billion for 62 hydrogen projects in Germany, Cummins' electrolyser gigafactory in Spain, Ammonia engine development in Portugal and Shchekinoazot gets a new decarbonisation partner.

The ammonia industry is transitioning towards sustainability at remarkable speed. In the last week alone, three major project announcements signal the availability of millions of tons of low-carbon ammonia this decade, and enthusiasm for rapid and complete transformation of the industry. Decarbonizing ammonia is no longer viewed as a challenge — now, this is quite clearly an opportunity.

Last week, Iberdrola and Fertiberia announced plans to start producing green ammonia for “fertilizantes libres de emisiones” (emission-free fertilizers). Iberdrola will invest EUR 150 million to build the 100 MW “Puertollano II” solar field, with a 20 MW electrolyzer bank to produce renewable hydrogen. Fertiberia will “update and modify” its existing Puertollano plant to consume this green hydrogen, reducing its natural gas use by “over 10%,” and producing green ammonia beginning in 2021.