Section: Industry News

Avenira has secured an A$7.56 million strategic investment from majority shareholder Hebang Biotechnology to progress its Wonarah phosphate project in Northern Territory. The investment, in which Hebang will acquire 1.08 billion shares priced at A$0.007 each, will boost its equity holding in Avenira to 49%. Hebang has also agreed to provide Avenira with an unsecured drawdown loan facility to be repaid on completion of the placement or after the date of the first drawdown.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dr. Umberto Zardi, who passed away on March 17th 2025 at his home in Breganzona, Lugano, Switzerland. Dr Zardi was an innovator in the nitrogen industry and for many years the president and driving force behind Ammonia Casale, now simply Casale SA, becoming responsible for its revival and transformation into the global engineering and technology giant that it is today.

Spanish company Ignis has decided to pause work on the renewable energy generation projects it had planned in Chile’s Magallanes region. In a press statement, Ignis said that: “even though we firmly believe that this industry will develop and mature, the company is considering a longer time frame than initially planned and a reduction in the project to adapt it to this new reality.” The company was developing a wind farm to supply the green ammonia plant with hydrogen, but reportedly found the process of leasing the land area to build the turbines slower and more difficult than it had hoped.

Hy2gen says that it has submitted its Courant renewable ammonia project to Quebec’s Minister of the Environment, marking the end of the planning stage. The Ministry will now define an impact study that Hy2gen must carry out to ensure that the project meets safety and environmental impact requirements. Project Courant aims to produce 230,000 t/a of low carbon ammonia for the local mining industry and region around Baie-Comeau, Quebec, using 300 MW of electrolyser capacity to generate renewable hydrogen in what Hy2gen says will be one of the largest renewable ammonia projects in North America. The plant is due to become operational in 2030.

The Port of Açu and renewable fuels company Sempen have signed a contract to reserve an area in the low-carbon hydrogen hub at the port, in the north of the state of Rio de Janeiro, for the construction of a green ammonia plant. The projected facility would have a production capacity of 1 million t/a of green ammonia. A final investment decision (FID) is expected for 2027-2028, with production of the first green ammonia beginning in 2030.

Horisont Energi says that it has secured a non-binding offtake deal with “a European energy group” for ammonia sales from its Barents Blue clean ammonia plant at Markoppnes in northern Norway. Sales and purchase agreements are targeted for completion in 2026. Horisont is pressing ahead with the 1 million t/a project in spite of the withdrawal of project partner Fertiberia, and the exit of Polish company Orlen from a related CCS project. Front end engineering and design work has not yet been completed, but the project has been working on commercial agreements for the supply of gas, offtake of clean ammonia and storage of CO2 . Carbon capture is projected to be above 99%, and it is expected to be the most energy-efficient clean ammonia plant in the world. Barents Blue is supported by a $48 million grant as part of the EU IPCEI hydrogen program, Hy2Use. The project is targeting a final investment decision (FID) in 2026 and estimated production start in 2029/2030.

Achema says that it plans to “temporarily” suspend ammonia production at its site at Jonava from May 15th, due to the volatility of natural gas prices and competition from cheaper foreign imports. It currently plans to resume production in 3Q 2025. The facility has been operating at reduced capacity since 2021, and Lithuanian lawmakers have discussed converting the site to explosive grade ammonium nitrate production as part of a European rearmament programme.

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.