ADNOC, Currenta, and Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia partner up for ammonia value chain

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), a provider of lower-carbon intensity energy, has announced that it will explore opportunities to support the climate-neutral transformation of industry through the creation of a low-carbon ammonia value chain with state government and industry representatives in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia.

The energy major signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of North Rhine-Westphalia and Currenta GmbH & Co. OHG (Currenta), a chemical industry services provider that manages and operates one of the largest chemical sites in Europe, Chempark, with locations in Leverkusen, Dormargen, and Krefeld-Uerdingen, in North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to ADNOC, the primary focus of the agreement will be the production and transportation of low-carbon ammonia and its application as a fuel in energy generation, including industrial-scale testing at Currenta’s site in Dormagen, Germany.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Executive Director of Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth Directorate at ADNOC, commented: “Our fast-growing ammonia business is enabled by the UAE’s abundant and competitive energy resources. As a responsible global energy provider, ADNOC is committed to meeting the growing global demand for lower-carbon intensity energy. In doing so, we are very pleased to partner with the government of NRW and Currenta to jointly decarbonise Germany’s vital industrial heartland.”

Mona Neubaur, Deputy PM of NRW and State Minister for Economics, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy, said: “We will do our utmost to expand the capacities for the generation of renewable energies and for the production of other climate-neutral energy carriers such as green hydrogen in this country as much as possible. However, it is also clear that we will have to import various green energy sources in large quantities in order to cover our needs and to achieve our climate protection goals. We are now building partnerships and a broad import infrastructure to supply our industry. The basis for our cooperations is diversification with many countries.”

Frank Hyldmer, CEO of Currenta, stated: “Ammonia has the potential to play an important role in decarbonisation, for example as a hydrogen carrier or as a fuel in heat generation. As a chemical park operator with large steam and heat generation plants, Currenta is observing very closely to see whether it succeeds in realising this potential. An important factor here is the development of global supply chains for ammonia. We, therefore, welcome and support the commitment of the state of NRW to work with ADNOC to advance such value chains.”

ADNOC has already invested in low-carbon ammonia. It has expanded its strategic energy partnerships across the hydrogen value chain and has shipped demonstration cargoes of low-carbon ammonia to Germany as part of the UAE-Germany Energy Security and Industry Accelerator (ESIA) Agreement.