Page 168 - CW E-Magazine (19-12-2023)

News from Abroad

DECENTRALISED HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
AFC Energy announces successful ammonia cracking

demonstration

UK-based AFC Energy has said it has cell grade hydrogen, AFC Energy’s first consumed by electrolysers, highlight-
achieved successful first production of pilot project is a major step forward in un- ing an ideal distributed hydrogen source
cracked hydrogen at what it claims is the locking the barriers of hydrogen logistics potential, for use in stationary or maritime
world’s largest ‘ammonia to hydrogen’ and transport. applications. Engineering will start in 2024
modular cracker designed to deliver to containerise the ammonia cracker plat-
140-tpa of fuel cell grade hydrogen. The cracker system, in container- form, including purification technology,
ised form, will be capable of replication to enable mobile, distributed hydrogen
The cracker demonstration plant was across Europe and Asia with our ability production at point of consumption with
designed, built and commissioned by to generate low cost, decarbonised hydro- initial focus on Europe and Asian markets.
AFC Energy over the course of 2023. gen from internationally traded green and
It will now be operated and validated blue ammonia being a key step forward AFC Energy also said it has signed its
over several months with targeted fuel in the evolution of the global hydrogen first Letter of Intent with the trading arm of
cell grade hydrogen production. market,” said Mr. Adam Bond, Chief Ex- one of Europe’s largest energy companies
ecutive, AFC Energy. to market the potential for ammonia as
“With an ammonia cracker offering a hydrogen carrier fuel to its customers,
market leading efficiency, low power According to the company, the cracker and is currently in dialogue with multiple
consumption and the production of fuel consumes a small fraction of the power European project partners.
DEAL MILESTONE
CF Industries completes acquisition of ammonia facility

in Louisiana

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has closed focus on low-carbon ammonia as a clean capacity utilisation and operational & logis-
its acquisition of the ammonia production energy source,” said Mr. Tony Will, Presi- tics optimisation it expects to achieve with
complex of Incitec Pivot Ltd. (IPL) loca- dent and CEO, CF Industries. Along with the site’s integration into the company.
ted in Waggaman, Louisiana. its offtake agreement with IPL, CF Indus-
tries will continue to fulfil medium- and Additionally, CF Industries anticipates
Under the terms of the agreement, long-term offtake agreements with two implementing carbon capture and seques-
CF Industries purchased the Waggaman customers that were in-place prior to the tration (CCS) technologies at the site on
ammonia plant and related assets for $1.675 acquisition. The company estimates that an accelerated timeline, increasing its net-
bn, subject to adjustments. The compa- these agreements will generate gross mar- work’s low-carbon ammonia production
nies allocated approximately $425-mn of gin per tonne commensurate with exist- capability while earning tax credits for
the purchase price to a long-term ammo- ing ammonia segment prior to the greater sequestered carbon dioxide.
nia offtake agreement under which CF
Industries will supply up to 200-ktpa of Tosoh Corporation closes sodium
ammonia to IPL’s Dyno Nobel subsidiary sulphate business
at production economics. CF Industries
funded the remaining purchase price with Japan’s Tosoh Corporation has an- in recent years. “Despite Tosoh’s efforts
cash on hand. “This transaction deploys nounced that it will cease its production to enhance the profitability of its sodium
our capital efficiently, delivering imme- and sale of sodium sulphate by the end sulphate business, including various
diate profitable growth by adding one of of September 2024. Tosoh launched business reforms and price adjustments,
the newest ammonia production units in sodium sulphate production in 1988, but the company foresees no improvement
North America into our existing network the business environment for the chemi- in the product’s business environment,”
while advancing our long-term strategic cal has become increasingly challenging it said.

168 Chemical Weekly December 19, 2023

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