Magazine: Nitrogen+Syngas

The partners in the HyLion network are planning to produce low carbon hydrogen from renewable energy in Scotland and convert it into methanol for use as a low carbon fuel in the shipping, aviation, and motorsport sectors in the UK and Europe. The HyLion project partners include ARUP, McPhy Energy, Bosch, E.On, CO2 Recovery Ltd, Mareneco Ltd, Cadeler A/S, and P1 Fuels. Management and IT consultancy MHP is providing strategic and operational advice on the development and digitalisation of an efficient supply chain. Around 9,000 t/a of hydrogen and around 45,000 t/a of green methanol are planned in the initial pilot plant, which will use 63,000 t/a of biogenic CO2 from E.On’s biomass power plant at Lockerbie and from local whisky distilleries for the production of methanol. Hydrogen will come from an 80 MW electrolyser supplied by McPhy Energy, using local wind energy, with pure water being supplied using Bosch technology. P1 Fuels’ technology will convert e-methanol into an e-fuel that fits seamlessly into the existing fuel infrastructure and offers a decarbonisation solution for the automotive industry, international and national racing series, and light aircraft, for example. Another customer for the e-methanol will be the shipping company Cadeler A/S. The plant is expected to start production at the beginning of 2028.

The Saipem Clough Joint Venture says that it has reached a major milestone on Perdaman’s Project Ceres urea plant, with the completion of construction of the first modules. The batch has been successfully loaded out and shipped from the project’s modular fabrication facility in India to its destination in Western Australia. Once completed, the 2.3 million t/a facility will be the largest urea plant in Australia. Clough and Saipem in a 50-50 joint venture, are delivering the engineering, procurement of equipment and materials, construction, pre-commissioning and commissioning for the urea project.

New carbon capture-based plants could see US nitrogen capacity jump over the next few years, but Trump attacks on IRA tax credits may scupper some ongoing projects.

Energy company Mabanaft says that it plans to convert four of its tanks at the Blumensand tank terminal in the Port of Hamburg over the next two years. The company’s aim is to facilitate the import of low-carbon methanol to northern Germany. Mabanaft expects demand for low carbon methanol to grow in future, both in the shipping and other transport sectors, as well as in the chemical industry.

India’s push to replace its sizeable urea imports with home grown capacity continues, but may not keep pace with rising domestic demand.

Horisont Energi says that Fertiberia’s participation in the Barents Blue ammonia project will end on February 28th 2025. The two companies had been collaborating on the project since August 2023. Horisont Energi says that it is now looking for additional industrial partners to “further strengthen” the project, which aims to produce 1.0 million t/a of low carbon ammonia using 99% carbon capture at a plant at Markoppnes in northern Norway. Barents Blue has secured sufficient power supply for the first phase of the project, and is supported by a grant via the EU IPCEI hydrogen program, Hy2Use. The project is targeting a final investment decision in 2026 and estimated production start in 2029/2030.

Nitrogen+Syngas ’s annual listing of new ammonia, urea, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants.

Johnson Matthey (JM) has signed an agreement with Bosch, a leading supplier to the automotive industry, to develop and produce catalyst coated membranes (CCM) for use in fuel cell stacks. JM’s high performance CCMs will be used in Bosch’s integrated, compact and scalable fuel cell power module for commercial vehicles, designed for longer distances.

thyssenkrupp Uhde says that it has been selected by MOPCO – the Misr Fertilizers Production Company – to supply advanced technology for three existing ammonia and urea plants in Damietta, Egypt, to improve the sustainability of production. Using an innovative carbon capture and usage (CCU) solution, the aim is to remove up to 145,000 t/a of CO2 from the flue gas of the existing ammonia production and use them to boost urea production. At the same time, three 150 t/d axial-radial flow uhde® ammonia converter cartridges using JM’s high performance KATALCOTM 74-1catalyst will be installed in the existing converters to increase ammonia production capacity while lowering natural gas consumption in the synthesis loop by around 10%. To bring down CO2 emissions further, additional green hydrogen feedstock will be sourced from new water electrolysis units powered by renewable energy. MOPCO plans to produce up to 150,000 t/a of green ammonia.

Yara Clean Ammonia has signed a time-charter contract with Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) for an ammonia-fuelled medium gas carrier, to be delivered in November 2026. Medium gas carriers are the most popular type of vessel for international shipping of ammonia, and Yara and NYK have been studying the possibilities of running them off ammonia fuel since 2021. Yara Clean Ammonia operates the largest global ammonia network with 15 ships and has, through Yara, access to 18 ammonia terminals and multiple ammonia production and consumption sites across the world. Yara says that use of an AFMGC will contribute to reducing GHG emissions from marine transportation and developing an ammonia supply chain by providing a more environment-friendly means of ammonia transport as demand grows for ammonia use in the power sector, for marine fuel, and the like.