The facility will use Topsoe’s proprietary solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) to produce green hydrogen from renewable electricity. The hydrogen will be further processed, again using Topsoe technology, to produce 300 t/d green ammonia, which can be used as a green marine fuel or as fertilizer.

“We look forward to our partnership with Aquamarine on our SOEC and ammonia technology. Driven by our vision to be recognized as the global leader in carbon reduction emission technologies by 2024, we are excited by our low-carbon solutions and attractiveness for our customers. This project is innovative in both its use of cutting-edge technology and its scale and will lead the way,” said Amy Hebert, Topsoe’s chief commercial officer.

Aquamarine will seek relevant permits and develop the project, which will be located in northern Germany, close to existing offshore wind farms and where the output can be sold to the shipping industry. Subject to a final investment decision, the facility is expected to be commissioned in 2024.

“We expect to be soon announcing other partners who will be joining the effort, as we move forward to build HydrGEN into a global green hydrogen products leader,” said Joel Moser, Aquamarine’s founder and CEO. Through its company HydrGEN, Aquamarine intends to establish a series of plants for green hydrogen, green ammonia, jet fuels, diesel and other products using hydrogen produced from the electrolysis of water from renewable power with zero carbon emissions.

Topsoe is already involved in several projects to produce green hydrogen, green ammonia, eMethanol, and green fuels. One of these is the Helios project in Neom, Saudi Arabia, which includes the world’s largest ammonia loop with a capacity of 1.2 million t/y. 

The project is a joint venture between US industrial gases group Air Products, Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power and Neom and completion is scheduled for 2025.

The first commercial operation of Topsoe’s SOEC technology, converting CO₂ into CO, is due to start during the first half of 2021 for DeLille Oxygen in the US.

Next year, Topsoe also plans to start building a large-scale plant to produce the SOECs. Start-up is scheduled by 2023.

Last December, Topsoe announced plans to build the world’s first commercial-scale green ammonia plant in Western Jutland, Denmark, with partners Vestas and Skovgaard Invest. Operations are expected to start in 2022.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist