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Nitrogen+Syngas 396 Jul-Aug 2025

21 July 2025

NEOM hydrogen plant “80% complete”

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC), a joint venture between ACWA Power, Air Products and NEOM, says that construction of its new green ammonia plant in Saudi Arabia has reached 80% completion across the hydrogen plant, wind and solar farm and transmission grid, with milestone equipment being received and installed, including wind turbines, hydrogen storage vessels, electrolysers, cold box and pipe racks. The 4 GW solar and wind power generation sites are scheduled for completion by mid-2026, with first ammonia product availability expected in 2027. The plant will produce up to 600 t/d of low carbon ammonia for transportation and industrial sectors globally, as well as using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. Air Products is the primary EPC contractor and system integrator, and the exclusive off-taker of the green hydrogen produced in the form of green ammonia at the NGHC facility.

Latest in Industrial

Manyar smelter faces supply issues

Freeport Indonesia may be forced to suspend operations at its Manyar smelter at the end of October due to a lack of copper concentrate, according to local press reports. The news follows the mudslide at the Grasberg mine in September, which killed seven workers. Grasberg, which represents almost 3% of global copper mine production, has halted production and Freeport says that it may not return to pre-accident operating rates until 2027. Stocks of copper concentrate at Grasberg were estimated to be only sufficient to operate the Manyar smelter until the end of October. The $3.7 billion Manyar smelter only resumed operations in May after a fire broke out in October last year, damaging the plant.

Government to limit new nickel projects

The Indonesian government has moved to limit new licenses for nickel projects in an attempt to correct overdevelopment of the industry and the subsequent crash in global nickel prices. The permit restriction applies to new nickel processing companies that produce intermediate products, both with pyrometallurgical (RKEF) and hydrometallurgical (HPAL) technologies. Currently, Indonesia already has 54 nickel processing plants operating, 38 in the construction stage, and 45 are still under planning.