QatarEnergy to develop blue ammonia project
QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions and Qatar Fertiliser Co. (QAFCO), a unit of state-owned QatarEnergy, has signed agreements for the construction of a blue ammonia project, QatarEnergy said on August 31.
The Ammonia-7 project will have a capacity to produce 1.2mn metric tons/year of blue ammonia, making it the world’s largest such facility, QatarEnergy said. The plant will be located in Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC) and will be operated by QAFCO as part of its integrated facilities. It is expected to become operational in 2026.
The $1bn engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract has been awarded to a consortium of ThyssenKrupp and Consolidated Contractors Co.
“Our investment in this project speaks to the concrete steps we are taking to lower the carbon intensity of our energy products, and is a key pillar of QatarEnergy’s sustainability and energy transition strategy,” QatarEnergy CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said.
Blue Ammonia is produced when the CO2 generated during conventional ammonia production is captured and stored. Blue Ammonia, which can be transported using conventional ships, can then be used in power stations to produce low-carbon electricity.
QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions, another unit of QatarEnergy, will develop and manage integrated CCS facilities capable of capturing and sequestering about 1.5mn mt/yr of CO2, to cater to the new Ammonia-7 plant. It will also supply more than 35 MW of renewable electricity to the Ammonia-7 facility from its PV solar power plant in MIC, which is currently under construction.
QAFCO is the world’s largest integrated single-site producer of Ammonia and urea, with a current production capacity of approximately 4mn mt/yr of ammonia and 6mn mt/yr of urea.