Avina’s large-scale clean ammonia project in US gains ground

U.S. green hydrogen producer Avina Clean Hydrogen has completed the front-end engineering design (FEED) and front-end-loading (FEL-3) for its 2,200 metric tons per day (MTPD) clean ammonia facility located in the Texas Gulf Coast.

FEED scope, reportedly, included engineering design of ammonia synthesis loop, hydrogen and ammonia storage, electrolytic hydrogen production, renewable power integration and engineering design of OSBL facilities.

As disclosed, Indian conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) led the overall FEED effort, bringing its engineering, procurement and modularization capabilities to support the project’s design and estimation. U.S. construction contractor EXCEL led the constructability effort in FEED, leveraging its experience in executing similar ammonia plants in the Texas Gulf Coast region.

In addition, the FEED process included collaboration with electrolyzer manufacturers and renewable energy suppliers to optimize the plant design. U.S. engineering company KBR previously provided the basic engineering design (BED) package for the plant and supported design activities.

With a final investment decision (FID) targeted in 2025, the clean ammonia facility is scheduled to commence operations in 2028. It is expected to produce up to 800,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) of clean ammonia by utilizing a blend of blue and electrolytic hydrogen. According to Avina, the facility will comply with renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) standards, aligning with European Union (EU) guidelines.

It is worth noting that Avina has signed a long-term water supply agreement with the local water district, ensuring sufficient water access to produce clean ammonia. Furthermore, interconnection studies have been completed to ensure sufficient access to 1 GW of transmission capacity. As informed, the facility will also take advantage of the vast network of pipelines, storage and terminal facilities operated by players in the oil and gas sector in the Texas Gulf Coast region.

Commenting on the project’s development, Vishal Shah, Founder & CEO of Avina Clean Hydrogen, said that the Texas Gulf Coast clean ammonia facility will leverage existing energy infrastructure and create several hundred high paying jobs. Shah also expressed gratitude to KBR, L&T and EXCEL for bringing their expertise to the project.