CF Industries has reported a $51 million impairment in its most recent accounts due to the abandoning of its 20MW green hydrogen facility at the company’s huge Donaldsonville, Louisiana fertilizer complex. The alkaline electrolysis unit had been planned to feed green hydrogen to produce up to 20,000 t/a of green ammonia. The company says that it will focus instead on more economically attractive blue ammonia production.
CF Industries has signed a memorandum of understanding with Trafigura and TFG Marine, a leading global marine fuel supplier, to facilitate the adoption of low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel. Building on previous collaboration between CF Industries and Trafigura in the shipment of low-carbon ammonia, this agreement establishes a framework for the parties to work together on advancing low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel, supporting the global shipping industry’s emissions-reduction efforts, including market development, stakeholder engagement, and bunkering logistics planning. The collaboration will initially focus on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Northwest Europe.
ExxonMobil has been named by Clean Hydrogen Works as an additional defendant an in existing anti-trust suit over access to a CO2 pipeline. Clean Hydrogen Works alleges that CO2 enhanced oil recovery firm Denbury, now acquired by ExxonMobil, unlawfully terminated its previously agreed access to Denbury’s pipeline network, threatening the proposed Ascension Clean Energy (ACE) blue ammonia project in Louisiana’s Ascension Parish. ExxonMobil has its own blue hydrogen and ammonia project under development, at Baytown, Texas, although it “paused” it last year, citing weak customer demand and difficulty securing sufficient offtake agreements. ExxonMobil has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Indian renewables developer ACME says that it will partner with the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (IPICOL) to set up a green methanol plant in Kendrapada, Odisha state. He proposal is for a 200,000 t/a plant, with ACME taking a stake via its ACME Akaysha Energy subsidiary, part of its green hydrogen business. ACME says that the project forms part of its plans to develop multiple low carbon hydrogen plants and downstream chemical production. The company is planning a large green ammonia facility in Gopalpur through a joint venture with Japan-based IHI Corporation. It is also developing a 2,200 t/d green ammonia project in Paradip with cooperation from the Solar Energy Corporation of India. The output of the facilities will be used both for domestic applications and for export.
Worley has been awarded a five-year engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services contract by Energinet Brint A/S to support Phase 1 of the Danish Hydrogen Backbone pipeline. Danish Hydrogen Backbone 1 will establish a national hydrogen transmission network for Denmark, linking large scale green hydrogen production from wind and solar to Germany and wider European markets, supporting Europe’s energy supply.
A Ukrainian drone attack hit the Dorogobuzh nitrogen fertilizer plant, around 140 km east of the border with Belarus in the western Smolensk region, according to local press reports. At least seven people were killed and another 10 injured, according to Russian authorities. It appears that the nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants were targeted, as well as facilities involved in the storage and transportation of ammonium nitrate, leading to extensive damage. The strike is part of an ongoing campaign by Ukraine against Russia’s oil, gas and chemical facilities.
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The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) says that the Ministry of Energy has approved the allocation of feedstock for its fourth phosphate project. This project aims to produce approximately 1.1 million t/a of ammonia and increase the production of phosphate and specialty fertilizers by about 2.5 million t/a, raising the company’s total production capacity to nearly 12 million t/a. This will further solidify Ma’aden’s position as one of the world’s largest producers of phosphate fertilizers, according to a company statement. Ma’aden will now commence engineering studies and obtain the necessary approvals.
Syria restarted a phosphate production site in Homs province after a decade-long shutdown, according to local media reports 25 November. The washing and drying facility is part of Syria’s Al-Sharqiya mine. The Syrian government has indicated that it plans to increase its presence in global phosphates market as part of efforts to support the country's economy.
Romanian oil and gas group OMV Petrom has commissioned a new sulphur recovery unit at its Petrobrazi refinery, near the southern city of Ploiesti. Development work on the new SRU began in 2023, and represents the second at the site, treating acid gas produced during the refining process. The euro 45 million investment is part of euro 2 billion of improvements that have been made over the past 20 years as part of the company’s strategy to modernise its refining capabilities, aiming to reduce environmental impact. Last year, the company said it would invest around euro 750 million to build several sustainable fuel plants at the refinery, which are expected to become operational in 2028.