World’s 1st shipment of certified blue ammonia reaches Ulsan port

Seasurfer, an LPG carrier managed by Athens-based Thenamaris LNG, has arrived at the Port of Ulsan, South Korea with the shipment of what has been described as the ‘world’s first certified blue ammonia cargo’.

The midsize gas carrier, built by Hyundai Mipo in 2017, loaded the cargo at King Fahad Industrial Port at Jubail, Saudi Arabia, in November.

The cargo was sent by SABIC AGRI-Nutrients, a petrochemical company from Saudi Arabia and Saudi Aramco. The duo is working together in the low-carbon hydrogen space and ammonia to develop solutions targeting the energy, fertilizer, and chemicals sectors in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.

Lotte Fine Chemicals (LFC) from South Korea, which has a long-standing relationship with SABIC AN, received the shipment on December 13.

Commenting earlier on the agreement, Yong Suk Kim, LFC CEO, said that the shipment is expected to lay the foundation for a global supply chain for blue ammonia.

The cargo of 25,000 metric tons was independently certified marking the first shipment of its kind as the world pushes forward to make the transition to clean energy and abandon fossil fuels.

“The first-ever shipment of its kind represents a new milestone in the development of carbon neutrality solutions, with clean (blue) ammonia viewed as a low-carbon alternative to conventional grey ammonia,” SABIC Agri-Nutrients said.

This is the first cargo to avail of the certification SABIC AN and Aramco received earlier this year from Germany-based certification agency TÜV Rheinland for the production of blue ammonia and blue hydrogen.

Ammonia is considered ‘blue’ when it is produced from natural gas feedstock, with the carbon dioxide by-product released during the production captured and stored. Green ammonia is derived from electrolysis hydrogen produced with the use of renewable energy.

The shipment was first announced on the sidelines of the Saudi Green Initiative conference held in Sharm Elsheikh a month ago.

The milestone is believed to be the first step in implementing Saudi Aramco’s vision of becoming a global leader in clean hydrogen products.

Specifically, the Saudi giant aims to produce up to 11 million metric tons of blue ammonia per year by 2030. The products would target hard-to-abate markets such as heavy-duty transport, heating and industrial applications.

Blue ammonia has great potential to play a crucial role as a future fuel for the maritime industry as well.