Category: Regions

Six Japanese companies have agreed to explore investment opportunities for a large-scale green ammonia plant in Odisha, India, being planned by Acme Group. Last year, IHI Corporation agreed to import up to 400,000 t/a from Acme’s project. IHI has now signed a memorandum of understanding with Hokkaido Electric Power, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Mizuho Bank, and Tokyo Century Corporate. The partners plan to create a special-purpose company for ammonia production and investment participation. Hokkaido Electric is testing ammonia co-firing at its coal-fired power plant and studying infrastructure needs, while Mitsubishi Gas Chemical wants to decarbonise its ammonia use. Mizuho Bank is planning to invest up to $13 billion in hydrogen and ammonia supply chains by 2030, and Tokyo Century is exploring green ammonia as part of its shift beyond solar to support carbon neutrality.

NextChem subsidiary KT Tech has been awarded a licensing contract for the implementation of NextChem’s proprietary NX AdWinMethanol® Zero technology for Pacifico Mexinol, an ultra-low carbon methanol facility near Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, which will have a planned output in excess of 2.1 million t/a. Transition Industries LLC, based in Houston, Texas, is developing Pacifico Mexinol with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. When it initiates operation in 2028, Pacifico Mexinol is expected to be the largest single ultra-low carbon methanol facility in the world – producing approximately 350,000 t/a of green methanol and 1.8 million t/a of blue methanol annually from natural gas with carbon capture.The value of the licensing award is in the low tens of million euros, with the whole package estimated to be about e250 million, including basic engineering, proprietary and critical equipment supply, as well as assistance to commissioning, start-up and operation of the facility.

thyssenkrupp Uhde has signed a 5-year framework service agreement with Brunei Fertilizer Industries, aimed at advancing digitalisation and implementing clean technologies in the fertilizer industry. Central to these efforts is the set-up and implementation of a digital twin, which will provide a virtual representation of the plant to enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making. This technology, together with specialized trainings, will allow BFI to enhance operational safety, reduce downtime, and achieve greater energy efficiency.

Clariant says that its MegaMax 900 methanol synthesis catalyst has been used in the successful startup of European Energy’s green methanol plant at Kasso, Denmark. The facility uses biogenic CO2 and green hydrogen to produce up to 42,000 t/a of green methanol. Clariant’s Applied Catalyst Technology (ACT) technical service team provided on-site support throughout the startup procedure, overseeing the catalyst loading, reduction, and startup. Clariant says that the catalyst is operating with excellent activity and stability despite the challenging conditions of CO2 -to-methanol conversion.

Alfa Laval says that its ammonia fuel supply system, FCM Ammonia, will be installed in seven LPG/ammonia carriers for Tianjin Southwest Maritime (TSM). The installation will commence with three 25,000m3 vessels, followed by four 41,000m3 vessels. The first FCM Ammonia unit for TSM is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2025. The contract follows extensive testing and development conducted in close collaboration with Swiss engine designer WinGD at its Engine & Research Innovation Centre (ERIC) in Winterthur, Switzerland. Alfa Laval says that the research and development project with WinGD has laid a strong foundation for FCM Ammonia’s commercial adoption, as evidenced by K Shipbuilding receiving approval in principle in December 2024 dfrom the American Bureau of Shipping for the design of an ammonia dual-fuel MR1 tanker. Alfa Laval contributed to the design of the entire fuel system, including the ammonia fuel supply system, fuel valves train, and vent treatment system, as well as an Aalborg ammonia dual-fuel boiler system.

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) says that the world’s first commercial-use ammonia-fuelled vessel, Sakigake, has successfully completed a three-month demonstration voyage, during which the vessel engaged in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay, while achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of up to 95%. The vessel was completed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and IHI Power Systems in August 2024, in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) as part of a Green Innovation Fund Project. NEDO says that the vessel will continue to be used for tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay, and the organisation will continue to promote research and development of next-generation fuel vessels, including developing an ammonia-fuelled ammonia gas carrier, in conjunction with NYK, Japan Engine Corporation, IPS, and Nippon Shipyard. This vessel is scheduled to be delivered in November 2026.

The European Commission (EC) says it has begun tracking European imports of certain ethylene and ammonia products, to allow it to react quickly to level the playing field if the monitoring points to a surge of imports causing or threatening to cause injury to the EU industry. This surveillance has been put in place in response to evidence of a significant and potentially injurious increase in the EU market share of imports of the chemicals. It covers imports of copolymers of ethylene and alpha olefin, urea containing more than 45% (by weight) of nitrogen, and ammonium sulphate from all countries, and should remain in place for a period of three years.

Tecnicas Reunidas and Siemens Energy have been awarded the contract to carry out front-end engineering design (FEED) for a major green methanol project in La Robla, Spain. The consortium will work on the project for Spanish developer Reolum, part of a partnership that says it is building the largest green methanol plant in Europe. The La Robla Nueva Energia facility will combine biogenic CO2 from a co-located biomass-based cogeneration plant with green hydrogen to produce 140,000 t/a of low carbon methanol. Tecnicas Reunidas will focus on the biogenic carbon capture and methanol production units, while Siemens Energy will handle the renewable hydrogen unit. Johnson Matthey has been selected to supply its eMERALD methanol technology, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will license it CO2 capture technology for the project.

The Kazakh government has approved the construction of a new ammonia and urea plant in the country’s Mangistau region, on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Construction will be carried out by a joint venture between QazaqGaz National Company and ESTA Construction under Qazesta Fertilizers Ltd. The total investment for the project is $1.35 billion, with construction expected to be completed within three and a half years. The plant’s annual production capacity is projected to reach up to 700,000 t/a of urea and 420,000 t/a of ammonia, adding value to the country’s natural gas production and helping to substitute domestic production for foreign imports of nitrogen fertilizer. Despite a national demand of 3.2 million t/a, domestic production currently only meets about half of that need.

thyssenkrupp Uhde has been awarded a contract by Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GNFC) for the construction of a weak nitric acid plant in Bharuch, Gujarat state. The scope of work includes license, basic engineering, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and start-up services. The plant will have a capacity of 600 t/d of weak nitric acid, and will use Uhde’s proven EnviNOx® technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating nitrogen oxides from nitric acid production. This will be the third weak nitric acid plant licensed by Uhde to GNFC’s Bharuch site, in a partnership going back more than three decades.