Yara International has officially opened its new ammonia import terminal in Brunsbüttel, Germany.
Brunsbüttel is located on the North Sea and Kiel Canal, making it an ideal hub for enabling the hydrogen economy in Europe, says Yara. The terminal is part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its core nitrogen business while generating value-accretive growth in a low-carbon future.
“As the world’s largest shipper and distributer of ammonia, Yara Clean Ammonia is in a pole position to secure low-emission ammonia supply to Germany, at competitive prices. With its leading global ammonia position, Yara can help kick-start the German hydrogen economy, laying the ground for a net zero future,” says Hans Olav Raen, CEO Yara Clean Ammonia.
Up to 3 million tonnes of low-CO2 ammonia can be imported annually via the terminal in Brunsbüttel. This would correspond to 530,000 tonnes of hydrogen or around 5% of the total European hydrogen target for 2030.
The ammonia can be delivered directly from the terminal to the point of use, where it could be cracked to low-emission hydrogen. The competitiveness of German industry, not least steel and chemicals, can only be maintained through decarbonization, says Yara. This can be achieved through cracking low-emission ammonia to hydrogen, for which significant quantities of ammonia will be needed.
Demand for low-emission ammonia in Germany is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection estimates that up to 70% of future national ammonia requirements will have to be imported by 2030. After this, the volumes will be even higher.
The energy partnership between Germany and Norway is expected to play a key role. In June, Yara officially opened its renewable hydrogen pilot plant in Norway, the plant is the largest of its kind in Europe and represents an important steppingstone towards a low-carbon future.
Low-emission ammonia is produced by electrolysis using renewable electricity or using carbon capture and storage (CCS). Low-emission ammonia has key advantages that makes it attractive as a decarbonization product in hard-to-abate sectors. This includes the traditional ammonia use such as fertilizers but also new applications such as a low-emission shipping fuel, emission cuts for refineries, power generation, and as a hydrogen carrier.
