As part of a global effort to diversify downstream, ABU Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has awarded a contract for Wood to design a ‘blue’ ammonia production facility. The 1 million tonne per year ammonia production facility will be built at Abu Dhabi’s new TA’ZIZ industrial and chemicals complex. The facility is being developed next to the existing Ruwais industrial complex, which includes the world’s fourth largest refinery, integrated polyolefin complexes, and petrochemical and processing plants.
“This is a significant milestone in the development of our blue hydrogen and ammonia business, building on the UAE’s strong position as a producer of competitive, low-carbon natural gas and our leadership role in carbon capture and underground storage,” said Adnoc chief executive Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
Considerable interest has been received from local and international investors in opportunities across the entire ecosystem and value chain, and agreements with the first phase of investors are nearing finalisation, Adnoc said. Since its launch in November 2020, land and marine surveys at TA’ZIZ have been completed.
“As we collectively navigate the global energy transition, we believe hydrogen, and its carrier fuels such as ammonia, offer promise and potential as zero-carbon energy sources.”
Ammonia can be used as a low-carbon fuel across a wide range of industrial applications, including transport, power generation and steel, cement and fertiliser production. Adnoc is already a major producer of hydrogen and ammonia, with more than 300,000 tonnes per annum of hydrogen produced at the Ruwais Industrial Complex.
ADNOC has selected a series of so-called anchor projects for its chemicals complex, including ammonia; chlor-alkali and ethylene dichloride; methanol; elastomer; isopropyl alcohol; and maleic anhydride.
