Emirati state-owned energy company Adnoc has signed a memorandum of understanding with the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Currenta, which manages three of the state’s largest chemicals production sites, aimed at developing a low-carbon ammonia supply chain.

The primary focus of the agreement is the supply of low-carbon ammonia produced in the UAE for applications in energy generation, including industrial-scale testing at Currenta’s site in Dormagen.

Germany has forged closer ties with the UAE over the last year as part of its effort to diversify its energy supply base away from Russian gas. The UAE shipped its first demonstration cargo of blue ammonia to Germany in October last year as part of the Energy Security and Industry Accelerator agreement signed by the two governments.

October 2022 – First test shipment of blue ammonia from UAE to Germany

“We will do our utmost to expand the capacities for the generation of renewable energies and for the production of other climate-neutral energy carriers such as green hydrogen in this country as much as possible,” says Mona Neubaur, North Rhine-Westphalia’s deputy prime minister and state minister for economics, industry, climate protection and energy.

“However, it is also clear that we will have to import various green energy sources in large quantities in order to cover our needs and to achieve our climate protection goals. We are now building partnerships and a broad import infrastructure to supply our industry. The basis for our cooperations is diversification with many countries.”

Adnoc is developing a 1mn t/yr blue hydrogen production facility at the Ta'ziz industrial and chemicals hub in Ruwais, western Abu Dhabi.

Currenta handles energy supplies for hundreds of chemicals producers across three manufacturing complexes in Leverkusen, Dormargen and Krefeld-Uerdingen.

“Ammonia has the potential to play an important role in decarbonisation—for example as a hydrogen carrier or as a fuel in heat generation. As a chemical park operator with large steam and heat generation plants, Currenta is observing very closely to see whether it succeeds in realising this potential,” says Frank Hyldmar, CEO of Currenta.

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Author: Stuart Penson