• Green hydrogen injection to replace natural gas

• Efficient modification of existing plant to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 40%

Decarbonization is a major lever to protect the climate. Even better if existing assets can be preserved while converting them to carbon-free technologies. This is why Grupo Fertiberia engaged thyssenkrupp Uhde to reduce the carbon footprint of its existing ammonia plant in Puertollano, Spain. The original plant was licensed and built by thyssenkrupp Uhde in 1969 with a nameplate capacity of 600 metric tons per day (mtpd). It has been in operation ever since, using naphtha as the original feedstock.

Since the 1980s, Fertiberia has been reducing their GHG emissions through several revamps of the unit. thyssenkrupp Uhde helped their customer to achieve this goal by revamping the plant so it could switch over to natural gas as feedstock and by improving the energy efficiency of the unit. In 2022, with its Net Zero By 2035 strategy, Fertiberia started the production of green hydrogen (20MW water electrolysis unit) and green ammonia at its Puertollano site, becoming a global pioneer in the energy transition of the fertilizer sector.

Today, thyssenkrupp Uhde is providing its expertise to further enhance the feedstock switch and partially convert production from grey to green ammonia by injecting green hydrogen.

David Herrero, Industrial Director at Fertiberia: “We are the first company in the agri-food sector that is committed to being carbon neutral within the next decade. This project is another step forward towards our goal to become one of the world leaders in the manufacture of low-carbon ammonia.”

Nadja Håkansson, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde: “We are very proud to have been selected once again by our long-standing customer Fertiberia to further decarbonize its production. By gradually replacing fossil-based ammonia production with green ammonia production, we have a huge lever for the green transformation of agriculture and entire industry sectors.”

The revamp concept is to maintain nameplate capacity while minimizing hardware modifications as much as possible. Greenhouse gas emissions will be further reduced by replacing a significant portion of the natural gas with green hydrogen. The necessary green hydrogen will come from a 50MW water electrolysis unit which runs on renewable energies. With this modification, up to 40% of the site production will be decarbonized.

Leading technologies for ammonia along the entire value chain

thyssenkrupp Uhde has over 100 years of experience in the engineering and construction of chemical plants, having built more than 2,500 plants in total. Among the 130 ammonia plants built are some of the world’s largest, often setting new industry standards such as with the uhde^® Dual-Pressure technology. In addition to the fertilizer business, thyssenkrupp Uhde also offers clean ammonia technologies and ammonia storage, which are relevant for the transition to clean energy and the use of ammonia as an energy and hydrogen carrier.

About Fertiberia

• Johnson Matthey and thyssenkrupp Uhde to combine expertise to offer integrated technology to produce low carbon (blue) ammonia that is more climate-friendly than current production methods.

• Demand for ammonia is growing because it’s easier to store and transport than pure hydrogen and is key to decarbonising the world’s power, shipping, and industrial processes.

thyssenkrupp Uhde, a leading provider for engineering, construction and service of chemical plants, and Johnson Matthey (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies, today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly offer a fully integrated low carbon (blue) ammonia solution, building on a nearly 25-year ammonia relationship between the companies.

In the drive to reduce CO₂ emissions, the role of ammonia has expanded from a vital ingredient used to produce fertilizer for the agricultural sector, to a decarbonized carrier and supplier of hydrogen energy that’s easier to store and transport than pure hydrogen. The movement of low carbon ammonia can utilize existing infrastructure making it a leading energy transition solution that’s ready to capture, store, and ship vast quantities of hydrogen for use in the power and shipping sector, and industrial value chains globally.

By joining forces thyssenkrupp Uhde and JM can access the blue ammonia market together offering proven technologies combining the uhde^® ammonia process and JM’s hydrogen expertise through its LCHTM technology, which will enable the production of blue ammonia with up to 99% CO₂ capture.

thyssenkrupp Uhde has licensed, engineered, or constructed over 130 ammonia plants worldwide since 1928 and is market leading in plants greater than 3,000 metric tonnes per day with its unique uhde^® dual pressure technology. JM’s LCH technology, which utilizes JM’s autothermal reformer alone, or in conjunction with JM’s gas heated reformer, has been selected for several of the world’s first large scale blue hydrogen projects including bp’s H2Teesside, a 700-megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant, and the H2H Saltend project with Equinor and Linde for a 600-megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant.

Lucretia Löscher, COO thyssenkrupp Uhde, said: “At thyssenkrupp Uhde, we are committed to our purpose, ‘we create a livable planet’. With this strong partnership we further broaden our portfolio of climate-friendly solutions and can help our customers even better to reach their sustainability goals.”

Alberto Giovanzana, Managing Director – Catalyst Technologies at Johnson Matthey, said: “We know multiple routes are needed in the energy transition, and ammonia provides several options because it can be used directly in power and shipping industries, and as a hydrogen carrier to safely transport hydrogen to areas it is not easy to produce. Combining our expertise and over two decades worth of partnership with thyssenkrupp Uhde, we are excited to offer this technology which will allow our customers to produce ammonia with significantly lower CO₂ emissions.”

About thyssenkrupp Uhde

• The €1.3 billion project is a major part of MOL's largest organic investment to date.

• The complex will produce raw materials for durable plastic consumer goods such as bed mattresses, molded car seats, insulation for houses and elastic rubber soles for sports shoes.

• Thanks to the innovative technology of Germany's thyssenkrupp Uhde and Evonik, the plant is operating with the most advanced technology available.

The polyol complex, engineered and built by thyssenkrupp Uhde, is a milestone in MOL Group's history, as it represents the culmination of its largest organic investment ever. The plant uses state-of-the-art technology from Germany's thyssenkrupp Uhde, making it one of the most modern and efficient facilities of its kind in the world. MOL and thyssenkrupp signed the license agreement in summer 2017, and the foundation stone of the complex was laid in September 2019.

“With this new MOL polyol complex we establish new standards in terms of efficiency, environmental friendliness and automation by combining proven technologies with innovative solutions”, said Nadja Håkansson, CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde. “We are grateful for the deep and trustful partnership with MOL. This polyol plant is a true landmark project and a great demonstration of how we at thyssenkrupp Uhde enable the industrial green transformation. With fully integrated and highly automated plant units, the valuable polyol chemicals will be produced in a highly efficient and sustainable way.”

“I am proud that we have completed the polyol complex. It was a true international team effort, a great collaboration involving thousands of people over the past six years that enabled us to deliver MOL Group's largest investment ever, perhaps the biggest development in modern Hungarian history. We have come a long way, but the road ahead is even longer, as the polyol complex will significantly strengthen our company's position and competitiveness, with the entire value chain from petroleum processing to polyol production,” said Zsolt Hernádi, Chairman and CEO of MOL Group.  

The project involved an international team of thousands of experts, with engineering design work carried out in Germany, Thailand, India and Hungary. The plant equipment came from 24 countries. The construction of the complex involved 75 000 cubic metres of concrete, 13 000 tonnes of steel, 2 500 kilometres of cable and 700 kilometres of pipelines laid in more than 18 million working-hours.

Top technologies relieve environment and reduce risks

Among the technological highlights are the fully modularized polyol units, which were constructed in a controlled environment in Thailand and then shipped to site. This PPMOF approach (prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and offsite fabrication) minimizes efforts on site, reduces overall project risks and takes pressure out of the project schedule. The Evonik-Uhde HPPO process is a very environmentally friendly technology, which only produces water as a by-product. In the whole plant, advanced automation helps to ensure efficient and safe operation of the whole complex.

• EnviNOx^® technology leading the Australian market for N₂O reduction in nitric acid plants

• N₂O and NO_X concentrations steadily reduced to less than 5 ppm(v)

thyssenkrupp Uhde and Dyno Nobel have successfully completed the nitrous oxide abatement project in Moranbah, Australia with the successful commissioning of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s highly effective EnviNOx^® technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at Dyno Nobel’s nitric acid plant in Moranbah, Australia.

For this project, thyssenkrupp Uhde was responsible for the process engineering and provided its proprietary equipment, including the EnviNOx^® reactor and the EnviNOx^® catalyst manufactured by BASF. Dyno Nobel, part of Incitec Pivot Limited, is an industry leader in blasting technology, commercial explosives and blasting services.

With the EnviNOx^® technology, it is anticipated that the Dyno Nobel nitrous oxide abatement project will abate approximately 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per annum during a lifespan of 20 years. These emissions savings are comparable to taking 50,000 cars off the road.

Lucretia Löscher, COO of thyssenkrupp Uhde: “EnviNOx technology^® is one of the world's leading technologies to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in industrial plants. We at thyssenkrupp Uhde are committed to help our customer reducing the carbon footprint of their assets. We are dedicated to a more sustainable future and therefore support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals with our proven technologies across the entire value chain.”

Mauro Neves, CEO & Managing Director of Incitec Pivot Limited: “Our $20 million investment in this project is part of our commitment to the region, to our customers and our decarbonization efforts. We are proud to officially open this innovative project in Moranbah which has been possible thanks to the skilled and dedicated team behind its successful installation and operation, including world leaders in N₂O abatement, thyssenkrupp Uhde.”

Leading technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

thyssenkrupp Uhde's innovative EnviNOx^® technology leads the charge in tackling global warming by effectively targeting N₂O and NO_X emissions in various chemical production plants worldwide. With over 60 industrial-scale EnviNOx^® units already in operation, this technology reduces more than 30,000 tonnes of NO_X and around 70,000 tonnes of N₂O emissions annually, which is equivalent to offsetting approximately 20 million tonnes of CO₂. As a result, EnviNOx^® technology continues to make a significant contribution to the global reduction of gases, that are harmful to the climate and the environment and establishes thyssenkrupp Uhde as a pioneer in the Australian market.

thyssenkrupp has announced the appointment of Nadja Håkansson as the company's new Chief Executive Officer of thyssenkrupp Uhde, effective May 1, 2024.

“We are delighted to welcome Nadja Håkansson to thyssenkrupp Uhde as the new CEO,” said Miguel López, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG. “With an extensive background in the energy technology industry, Nadja brings a wealth of experience and leadership to thyssenkrupp Uhde to position the company as an enabler of the industry’s transformation towards further CO₂ emissions reduction.”

“thyssenkrupp Uhde has significant potential for shaping the green transformation in our industry, and I am honored to lead this prestigious company as we embark on this exciting journey together,” said Nadja Håkansson. “I am looking forward to being part of thyssenkrupp Uhde's engineering competence, to fostering a culture of innovation and to delivering sustainable value to our customers & stakeholders.”

The future CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde, Nadja Håkansson, has held various management positions at Siemens and Siemens Energy and looks back on over 18 years of national and international experience in the areas of supply chain management, operations, sales and corporate management. Most recently, as Senior Vice President Region Africa for Siemens Energy, she was responsible for the company’s overall portfolio development in the African market. Nadja holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Institute of Technology at Linköping University, Sweden.

About thyssenkrupp Uhde

• Pre-FEED for integrated ammonia/urea/UAS/UAN plant

• Emission minimization through EnviNOx^®, utilization of renewable-based hydrogen and electricity

thyssenkrupp Uhde and Genesis Fertilizers Limited Partnership ("Genesis Fertilizers”) have signed a Pre-FEED (front-end engineering and design) contract to conceptually develop an integrated fertilizer complex to be located at Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan in Canada. The proposed plant will be designed to produce 1,500 mtpd of ammonia, 2,600 mtpd of urea/UAS granulation, nitric acid and UAN plus the ability to produce Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).

thyssenkrupp Uhde will provide engineering solutions for the integration of the above-listed objectives as a component of this Pre-FEED arrangement, with a key focus on minimizing plant emissions. thyssenkrupp Uhde's proven EnviNOx^® technology, for example, will almost completely eliminate nitrogen oxides from nitric acid production. Furthermore, the design of the plant will consider the potential use of renewable-based hydrogen and electricity.

Jason Mann, President and CEO of Genesis Fertilizers: “Our primary goal is to ensure the supply of fertilizers to the farmers in Western Canada based on the most advanced technologies available with the lowest possible carbon footprint. We are pleased to be working with a strong industry partner that offers expertise in all the processes and technologies involved from a single source.”

Lucretia Löscher, COO thyssenkrupp Uhde: “This project is a further proof that the transition of the fertilizer industry towards more sustainability has started. Our expertise in clean fertilizer technologies and their integration is essential to support our customers on their journey to protect the climate.”

thyssenkrupp Uhde has more than 100 years of experience in the engineering and construction of chemical plants, with more than 2,500 built in total. 130 ammonia and fertilizer plants have been built, including some of the largest plants in the world. These often have set new industry standards, such as the uhde^® dual pressure technology. In addition to the fertilizer business, thyssenkrupp Uhde also offers clean ammonia technologies and ammonia storage, which are relevant for the transition to clean energy and the use of ammonia as an energy and hydrogen carrier.