Nutrien Ltd says that thyssenkrupp Uhde has been selected as technology provider and partner for the world’s largest clean ammonia plant which Nutrien plans to build at its existing Geismar, Louisiana site.
The anticipated plant will have an expected annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons and is expected to capture and store more than 90 percent of the CO2 emissions to achieve the lowest carbon footprint of any ammonia plant at this scale with the potential to transition to net-zero emissions with future modifications.
The new clean ammonia plant will serve growing demand in agriculture, industrial and emerging energy markets.
The final investment decision on the project is expected in 2023, and if approved full production is anticipated by 2027.
Trevor Williams, interim president, nitrogen and phosphate at Nutrien, said: “This partnership marks another important milestone in our commitment to provide solutions to help meet the world’s decarbonization goals through leadership in clean ammonia production.
“We are glad to have an experienced partner with both the technology and proven execution competence to join us on this journey as we strive to sustainably feed and fuel the future.”
Dr Cord Landsmann, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde, said: “We are excited to be the chosen technology partner for this project and support the execution as well. This is another proof point that the market is shifting towards sustainable, clean ammonia. And we can deliver easy-to-install solutions at the necessary scale.”
Traditional ammonia plant designs can only achieve carbon capture rates of up to 70 percent and face significant challenges to reach a net-zero design.
Nutrien’s clean ammonia plant will use autothermal reforming technology – the next generation of ammonia and hydrogen production technology – which is expected to achieve carbon capture rates of at least 90 percent and the potential to scale to a net-zero design. thyssenkrupp Uhde has the demonstrated ability to design and engineer projects that meet or exceed safety and operational requirements.
The company is a trusted partner and has worked with Nutrien on several past projects, providing services ranging from licensing and technology up to full engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).
With over 100 years of experience in engineering and building more than 2,500 chemical plants, thyssenkrupp Uhde is a leading global technology and EPC provider, integrating various technologies and building complete chemical complexes is part of its established track record.
Of the 130 ammonia plants worldwide, thyssenkrup has built some of the largest plants and frequently sets new industry standards such as the uhde® dual pressure technology. Besides the fertilizer industry, thyssenkrupp Uhde is also targeting the clean energy market with its clean ammonia technologies and is also completing the value chain by offering ammonia storage and ammonia cracking solutions.
Nutrien is committed to leading the development of clean ammonia to rapidly accelerate the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors such as agriculture, industrial use of ammonia, power generation, and maritime fuel.
Nutrien previously said that it selected Denbury Inc as its carbon sequestration partner and Mitsubishi Corporation as an offtake partner for the anticipated clean ammonia plant.
As one of the world’s largest ammonia traders by marine transportation, Nutrien also announced a collaboration agreement with EXMAR in 2021 to jointly develop and build one of the first low-carbon ammonia-fueled maritime vessels as early as 2025. This vessel is expected to demonstrate that we can decarbonize shipping by safely integrating ammonia into every aspect of the design.
For more information visit www.nutrien.com
