Category: Regions

Air Water Gas Solutions, a subsidiary of Air Water America, will build an air separation unit to support the production of 1.1 million t/a of blue methanol at Sandpiper Chemicals’ blue methanol facility in the US. The low carbon methanol producer has contracted Air Water to design, build, and operate the ASU to provide oxygen, nitrogen, and instrument air for blue methanol production. The project is still at the pre-final investment decision (FID) stage, with production targeted for 2030.

Alfa Laval Korea Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hanwha Ocean Ecotech, marking a significant step toward strengthening cooperation in developing safe and reliable ammonia fuel system solutions for dual-fuel vessels. The collaboration is founded on a shared ambition to advance ammonia fuel systems for dual-fuel vessels. Alfa Laval will contribute its proven capabilities in ammonia fuel and mitigation technologies through ammonia fuel supply system and FSS and ammonia release mitigation system (ARMS) and Hanwha will apply its extensive experience in system engineering and integration. This partnership will facilitate the exchange of expertise and improve productivity and safety on board.

Nel ASA says that it has entered into an agreement with GreenH to be the technology provider for the Enova-supported projects in Kristiansund and Slagentangen. GreenH develops, builds, owns, and operates hydrogen production facilities based on renewable energy. The company aims to establish a network of distributed hydrogen production sites to enable decarbonisation in the maritime, transport, and industrial sectors. GreenH focuses on scalable solutions located close to end users, reducing logistics costs and supporting the development of efficient, regional hydrogen value chains. The facilities in Kristiansund and Slagentangen are intended to supply green hydrogen to industrial and maritime users and form part of GreenH’s broader efforts to establish a network of distributed hydrogen production in Norway.

KBR has been awarded a contract for its PureM green methanol technology by Fikrat Al-Tadweer for a biomethanol plant in Saudi Arabia which will convert landfill gas into clean fuels. KBR’s technology is designed for commercial-scale deployment with a low cost of renewable methanol production, and can utilise a wide range of feedstocks, including biogas, gasification-derived syngas, hydrogen, and pure CO2 , enabling flexibility and efficiency. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide technology licensing, proprietary engineering design, catalyst, and proprietary equipment for the biomethanol facility.

Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC) has announced a contract award worth approximately $40 million to Toyo Engineering India Pvt Ltd for the supply of a second ammonium nitrate on an LEPC (Lump Sum Engineering, Procurement and Construction) basis. The plant will have a capacity of 480 t/d (160,000 t/a), and is projected to be built over a 20 month project timescale. The project received board approval during GNFC’s most recent board meeting. Toyo Engineering India has established a strategic tie-up with Spain’s INCRO SA for the technology license and supply of process knowhow. The new ammonium nitrate plant represents a substantial expansion for GNFC, with the company stating that this installation will enhance their capacity by 94%. GNFC says that it will better position the company to serve India’s growing demand for AN, while leveraging advanced international technology through the Toyo-INCRO partnership.

CIMC Enric Holdings Ltd says that it has commissioned China’s first large-scale biomethanol facility in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, marking a major step forward in the decarbonisation of global shipping and clean fuel supply chains. The project, developed by CIMC Enric and its subsidiaries, is designed as a fully integrated closed-loop system converting forestry residues into green methanol for use as marine fuel. With an initial annual capacity of 50,000 t/a, it is the country’s first commercial scale green methanol plant, and is backed by the port of Zhanjiang and abundant local forestry wastes.

Acron’s fertilizer complex at Veliky Novgorod was reported to be on fire following a Ukrainian drone strike on December 10th. At least five explosions were reported at the facility, according to Ukrainian media. Novgorod Governor Alexander Dronov confirmed the attack and said the air defence system intercepted 19 drones over the region. Earlier, on December 4, Ukrainian drones struck the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant in Russia’s Stavropol region, a major facility that produces over 1 million t/a of ammonia and 1.4 million t/a of ammonium nitrate annually.

NextChem has also announced that its nitrogen technology licensing division Stamicarbon, has been a licensing contract and the project development process for a new nitric acid plant in China. The project entails the application of Stamicarbon’s state-of-the-art mono-pressure technology, part of NX STAMI™ Nitrates series, which uses oxygen instead of air as feed for the process, enabling high energy recovery and low operational costs. NextChem says that the award builds on the Group’s longstanding expertise in nitrogen technologies and reflects its commitment to industrialising efficient, low-emission solutions for the agricultural supply chains.

KBR has been awarded a technology and engineering contract by IGNIS for a new green ammonia facility in A Coruña, Spain. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide proprietary engineering design and pre-FEED engineering services for a 200,000 t/a green ammonia plant. The facility will use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen, which will be converted to green ammonia.

ClassNK has issued approval in principle for a concept design of the Multiple Alternative Fuels Ready (ammonia/methanol/ LNG) bulk carrier developed by Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The certification confirms the feasibility of the vessel from regulatory and safety perspectives. ClassNK has published Annex 1 Alternative Fuel Ready of the Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels, which summarises the requirements for adding class notations to ships that do not use alternative fuels at the time of construction but are designed and partially equipped to accommodate such fuels in the future.