Dubai, UAE — ADNOC said Monday it will explore a low-carbon ammonia value chain with the government and industry representatives in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia.
The announcement was made following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, ADNOC, and Currenta GmbH & Co. OHG (Currenta), a chemical industry services provider that manages and operates one of the largest chemical sites in Europe, Chempark, with locations in Leverkusen, Dormargen, and Krefeld-Uerdingen, in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The primary focus of the agreement will be the production and transportation of low-carbon ammonia and its application as a fuel in energy generation, including industrial-scale testing at Currenta’s site in Dormagen, Germany.
Ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, can be used as a low-carbon fuel across a wide range of industrial applications, including transportation, power generation, and industries including steel, cement and fertilizer production.
The agreement was signed by Mona Neubaur, Deputy Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Executive Director of Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth Directorate at ADNOC and Frank Hyldmar, CEO of Currenta.
Neubaur said, “We will do our utmost to expand the capacities for the generation of renewable energies. However, it is also clear that we will have to import various green energy sources in large quantities to cover our needs and achieve our climate protection goals. We are now building partnerships and a broad import infrastructure to supply our industry.”
Al Kaabi stated, “Our fast-growing ammonia business is enabled by the UAE’s abundant and competitive energy resources. As a responsible global energy provider, ADNOC is committed to meeting the growing global demand for lower-carbon intensity energy.”
ADNOC has already invested in low-carbon ammonia, where the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during production is captured and stored underground. In May 2021, the company announced a 1 million tons per year low-carbon ammonia production facility at the TA’ZIZ industrial ecosystem and chemicals hub in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi.