Qatar announced Wednesday that it will build the world’s biggest plant making blue ammonia — one of the new fuels being touted as a cleaner energy source.
Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said the plant would cost $1.2 billion and start production in early 2026.
State-owned Qatar Energy, a firm that is making huge profits from liquefied natural gas, said the plant would produce 1.2 million tonnes of ammonia a year “making it the world’s largest such facility”.
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“We see increasing interest in using ammonia as fuel, driven by the need to reduce CO2 emissions in the energy ecosystem,” said al-Kaabi, who is also Qatar Energy’s CEO.
“Potential customers have expressed a desire for low-carbon fuels — including blue ammonia — and we have reacted in a pragmatic and meaningful manner and with scale,” he added.
Qatar plans to build a $1bn plant to make blue ammonia, a fuel that can be converted into hydrogen by countries looking to reduce their carbon emissions@qatarenergy #CarbonFootprinthttps://t.co/UDSjwQwnlC
— Gulf Business (@GulfBusiness) September 1, 2022
Ammonia is already a huge part of the global fertiliser industry. CO2 is captured and stored as part of the production of blue ammonia.
The foul-smelling chemical is being touted by gas-producing nations such as Qatar as an alternative to hydrogen. Due to its high hydrogen content, it can also be used to store or transport the chemical.
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Japan is already looking into using ammonia to power former coal-fired electricity generators.
AFP with additional input by GVS News Desk