Tag: Haldor Topsoe

Green ammonia: Haldor Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolyzer

by Trevor Brown

Haldor Topsoe has greatly improved the near-term prospects for green ammonia by announcing a demonstration of its next-generation ammonia synthesis plant. This technology uses a solid oxide electrolysis cell to make synthesis gas (hydrogen and nitrogen), which feeds Haldor Topsoe's existing technology: the Haber-Bosch plant. The product is ammonia, made from air, water, and renewable electricity.

The "SOC4NH3" project was recently awarded funds from the Danish Energy Agency, allowing Haldor Topsoe to demonstrate the system with its academic partners, and to deliver a feasibility study for a small industrial-scale green ammonia pilot plant, which it hopes to build by 2025. There are two dimensions to this technology that make it so important: its credibility and its efficiency.

Read more

All together now: every major ammonia technology licensor is working on renewable ammonia

by Trevor Brown

The second annual Power to Ammonia conference, which took place earlier this month in Rotterdam, was a tremendous success. It was again hosted by Proton Ventures, the Dutch engineering firm and mini-ammonia-plant pioneer, and had roughly twice as many attendees as last year with the same extremely high quality of presentations (it is always an honor for me to speak alongside the technical wizards and economic innovators who represent the world of ammonia energy).

However, for me, the most exciting part of this year's event was the fact that, for the first time at an ammonia energy conference, all four of the major ammonia technology licensors were represented. With Casale, Haldor Topsoe, ThyssenKrupp, and KBR all developing designs for integration of their ammonia synthesis technologies with renewable powered electrolyzers, green ammonia is now clearly established as a commercial prospect.

Read more

Pacific Coast Fertilizer greenfield moving slowly forward in WA

by Trevor Brown
THIS UPDATE IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO SITE MEMBERS

The 500,000 ton per year greenfield ammonia plant under development in Washington state is making slow but steady progress. Today, it completes the public consultation period for its "scoping" exercise, which will determine the extent of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS is a more legally-robust route to the end-goal of receiving air and water permits.

Read more

Grannus awards EPC contract

by Trevor Brown

Grannus awarded two contracts for design and technology licensing in November, and it has started December with a third announcement, naming its new EPC partner.

Yesterday's announcement, which sees the previous engineering partner entirely replaced, focuses on the company's business model, which is not to be an ammonia producer, but to be a global licensor of regional-scale ammonia plant technology.

Read more

Grannus awards engineering and licensing contracts (again)

by Trevor Brown

In the last two weeks, Grannus LLC has awarded two contracts for process design and technology licensing: the first for hydrogen production, and the second for the ammonia loop.

These replace the engineering contract announced earlier this year, and bring the "zero-emission" ammonia plant closer to reality - albeit with a revised start-up schedule.

Read more

Longview, WA — Pacific Coast Fertilizer

by Trevor Brown

UPDATED: 11/13/2017 — see Change Log

OWNER: Pacific Coast Fertilizer (joint venture)
PROJECT: Brownfield ammonia plant

SUMMARY STATUS: Planning Phase
First announced in September 2016, Pacific Coast Fertilizer's plans to build a new ammonia plant have been in development for some time and the joint venture includes heavyweight industrial partners. In late 2017, the city began initial work on an environmental impact statement; the start of construction is still years away.

Read more

Kern County, CA – Grannus

by Trevor Brown

UPDATED: 05/10/2018 — see Change Log

OWNER: Grannus LLC
PROJECT: Greenfield polygeneration plant

SUMMARY STATUS: Planning phase
Grannus has been working to commercialize its polygeneration "Eureaka Process" since 2013, when it was a runner-up for Sustainability at the Cleantech Open. In 2015, the company closed its Series A financing, to fund engineering and feasibility work on its commercial-scale demonstration plant in California. In early 2016, Grannus awarded the engineering design contract but then, in late 2016, gave the contracts to other companies. In 2018, the EPA designated Grannus's hydrogen and ammonia production technology as "BACT."

Read more

Taylor County, FL — BioNitrogen

by Trevor Brown

UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log

OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant

SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
Announced in March 2014, county financing incentives approved July and August 2014. This site may yet be developed as BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept, however, BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.

Read more

Hendry County, FL — BioNitrogen

by Trevor Brown

UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log

OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant

SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
Ribbon cutting ceremony in May 2014. Awaiting announcement of bond placement and date for start of construction. This site may yet be developed as BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept, however, BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.

Read more

Faustina, LA — Mosaic Company

by Trevor Brown

UPDATED: 02/21/2018 — see Change Log

OWNER: The Mosaic Company
PROJECT: Ammonia plant debottleneck and brownfield ammonia plant

SUMMARY STATUS: Operational
Faustina has been producing ammonia since 1968. Mosaic chose to implement an emissions reduction project in 2017 instead of a debottleneck at Faustina. In October 2013, Mosaic abandoned plans for a $1.1 billion ammonia brownfield plant, because it became "unnecessary" after Mosaic acquired CF Industries' phosphate operations. In early 2018, Mosaic derated the capacity at Faustina.

Read more

Hardee, FL — BioNitrogen

by Trevor Brown

UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log

OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant

SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
This site may yet be developed if one of BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept plants in Florida ever gets built. BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.

Read more