Helios Industry to invest $1bn in green ammonia plant in Abu Dhabi

LONDON (ICIS)–Ambitious plans for a $1bn green ammonia production facility in Abu Dhabi that will target regional and international markets were unveiled on Tuesday.

The 800MW solar-powered plant will produce up to 200,000 tonnes/year of zero-carbon ammonia at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) – a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports.

Helios Industry, a privately owned special project vehicle (SPV) company, plans to invest in the construction of the facility over several years, which it aims to develop with local and international partners in two phases.

The plant will electrolyse water and split molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. At peak capacity, 40,000 tonnes/year of the green hydrogen released in the process will be used to produce 200,000 tonnes/year of green ammonia.

Abdullah Al Hameli, head of industrial cities and free zone cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports, said: “The adoption of sustainability and green technology has gained significant traction within the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] and greater MENA [Middle East and north Africa] region over the past few years.

“Abu Dhabi Ports is proud to be the host of an innovative company like Helios Industry, and one of the region’s first green ammonia plants with zero carbon emission.

“We are committed to the growth and success of our customers and strive to continue supporting responsible manufacturers who are helping bring about increased sustainability across industries, whilst simultaneously enhancing the level of green knowledge and awareness within the UAE.”

According to Helios Industry, the newly announced facility – for which no timeline has yet been declared – will be the first production plant within Abu Dhabi to produce green ammonia from hydrogen using renewable energy.

Upon completion, the plant is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 600,000 tonnes/year, equivalent to the amount of pollution generated by roughly 140,000 vehicles if conventional methods are employed for ammonia production.

On Monday, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced it will advance a world-scale blue ammonia production facility at Ruwais.

The 1m tonne/year facility, which has moved to the design phase, will be developed at the new TA’ZIZ industrial ecosystem and chemicals hub at the coastal industrial complex.

Image courtesy of Abu Dhabi Ports