In a first for South Africa, plans for one of the world’s largest green ammonia export plants have been announced.

It is expected that the US$4.6 billion facility will export 780 000 tons of green ammonia per year, once the first phase of operation goes live in 2025, with full operation by end-2026. The pre-feasibility stage has recently been completed. According to Mining Weekly, the plant is located in the Coega Special Economic Zone alongside the Port of Ngqura, in Nelson Mandela Bay.

South African investment and development business BuiltAfrica and Hive Energy, a UK-based solar-energy provider, have partnered to establish the green ammonia export plant, which is expected to create 10 000 direct and indirect jobs.

The facility will be powered by a combined 3 200 MW of solar and wind energy, which will be used to electrolyse 3.4 megalitres of seawater a day. Hydrogen will be separated from oxygen in the process, while nitrogen will be collected via an air separation unit. The hydrogen and nitrogen will be combined to produce green ammonia, which will then be cooled and liquefied for export.

18 January 2022
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