Yara and Air Products have advanced negotiations to partner on low-emission ammonia projects.
Yara has matured a project portfolio for potential investment in cost competitive US ammonia to diversify its energy position and increase competitiveness of its European nitrate production.
Air Products is developing the world’s largest low-carbon energy complex in the state of Louisiana. The complex is designed to produce >750 million standard cubic feet per day of low-carbon hydrogen, capturing 95 percent of the CO2 generated during normal operation.
Air Products is the project developer and once the ammonia plant has achieved agreed upon performance levels, Yara would acquire the ammonia production, storage and shipping facilities for approximately 25 percent of the total project cost (estimated between $8-9 billion). Yara would assume responsibility for related operations and integrate the entire ammonia output into its global distribution network.
Air Products would own and operate the industrial gases production, where approximately 80% of the low-carbon hydrogen would be supplied to Yara under a 25-year long-term offtake agreement to produce 2.8 million tonnes of low-carbon ammonia per year. The remaining hydrogen would be supplied to Air Products’ customers in the U.S. Gulf Coast via Air Products’ 700-mile hydrogen pipeline system.
About five million tonnes per year of high purity CO2 captured by the Air Products facility would be sequestered by a third party under a long-term agreement to be announced later.
Final investment decisions by both companies are targeted by mid-2026, and project completion is expected by 2030.
Additionally, the companies are planning to collaborate on the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia which is more than 90 percent complete and is expected to start commercial production in 2027. Air Products is the sole offtaker of up to 1.2 million tonnes per year of renewable ammonia.
Air Products and Yara anticipate entering into a marketing and distribution agreement where Yara would commercialize, on a commission basis, the ammonia not sold by Air Products as renewable hydrogen in Europe.
The model enables ammonia from the world’s first large-scale renewable ammonia plant to be delivered worldwide by Yara’s shipping fleet. The marketing and distribution agreement is targeted to be completed during the first half of 2026.
Yara is the world’s largest trader and shipper of ammonia, currently transporting over four million metric tonnes annually, which is supported by Yara’s 12 ammonia vessels and 18 import terminals. In addition, Yara has a significant internal ammonia demand.
Air Products is the world’s largest supplier of hydrogen and brings leading low-emission hydrogen and ammonia production at scale.
The collaboration would enable the companies to meet the increasing demand for low-emission ammonia in the coming years, particularly in Europe both for Yara's internal consumption and other customers.