Orsted is to work with fertiliser company Yara to replace fossil-fuel generated hydrogen with green hydrogen to make ammonia at one of the latter’s plants in the Netherlands.
The 100MW electrolyser will use renewable energy from Orsted’s Dutch offshore wind farms to supply the electrolyser to supply Yara’s Sluiskil plant, located in the province of Zeeland.
If the required public co-funding is secured and the right regulatory framework is in place, the project could be operational in 2024/2025, Orsted said.
Orsted is about to inaugurate its Borssele 1&2 offshore wind farm (pictured), the second biggest in the world, located off the coast of Zeeland close to the Sluiskil plant.
The partners will now seek public co-funding for the development and construction of the electrolyser facility to support the project.
A final investment decision to build the new plant could be taken late 2021 or early 2022.
Orsted Offshore president and chief executive Martin Neubert said: “Orsted is committed to investing in renewable hydrogen production at scale, and with the right support in place this joint flagship project between Yara and Orsted will not only lead to a significant reduction of CO2 emissions, but also help mature the technology for the wider decarbonisation of European industry.”
Yara head of farming solutions Terje Knutsen said: “Green ammonia can be essential to enable sustainable food production, in addition it is emerging as the most promising carbon neutral energy carrier for several energy applications, such as decarbonised shipping fuel.
“Teaming up with Orsted in this project in the Netherlands represents a major step forward in enabling Yara to deliver on its strategic ambitions.”