• Ammonium nitrate production from low pressure ammonia and aqueous nitric acid with a plant production capacity of 1500 mtpd

• uhde^® ammonium nitrate neutralization process ensures extremely low reaction temperature

thyssenkrupp Uhde has been selected by Grupa Azoty S.A. of Poland to supply a new ammonium nitrate neutralization plant. Grupa Azoty S.A. is a key player on the European fertilizer and chemicals market and the second largest EU-based manufacturer of nitrogen and compound fertilizers. The new ammonium nitrate neutralization plant will be based on the natural circulation process and produce liquid ammonium nitrate (AN). The process will ensure precise control of the reaction parameters for highly efficient and sustainable plant operation.

For this project, thyssenkrupp Uhde will be responsible for the licensing, basic engineering and supply of the process equipment as well as for technical consulting services for the detail engineering, construction, and commissioning. The chosen ammonium nitrate solution process is based on proven uhde^® technologies which have already been successfully implemented in over 50 commercial-scale plants around the world. These form the basis of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s ammonium nitrate technology portfolio. The new ammonium nitrate neutralization plant will be constructed in Tarnow, Poland.

Dr. Cord Landsmann, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde: “This project for Grupa Azoty marks another milestone for us and will further strengthen our position as a technology provider in the fertilizer industry. We at thyssenkrupp Uhde are proud to be selected as the partner to provide a most efficient ammonium nitrate neutralization plant. It's a big step towards a more sustainable chemical industry. We are proud to say that we were the only licensor who could offer a referenced technology which is able to use low-pressure gaseous ammonia as feedstock without requiring an ammonia compressor. This project proves that we can offer advanced ammonium nitrate technologies to the market and deliver the best solutions for our customers.”

Tomasz Hinc, President of the Management Board, CEO of Grupa Azoty S.A.: “For us, thyssenkrupp Uhde represents the best possible technology partner for designing the new ammonium nitrate neutralization plant. We have chosen a reliable and trustworthy company with proven technology and long-standing expertise in the global fertilizer market.”

Grupa Azoty S.A.’s selection of thyssenkrupp Uhde as its partner for this ammonium nitrate neutralization plant not only speaks for thyssenkrupp Uhde’s expertise, but also signifies the trust placed in its ability to deliver proven solutions for the fertilizer industry.

Highly efficient ammonium nitrate production: low reaction temperature for high impact

thyssenkrupp Uhde has over 100 years of experience in the fertilizer sector and has engineered uhde^® ammonium nitrate neutralization, a proprietary uhde^® process already implemented in many of the largest fertilizer plants worldwide. The chosen natural draft process tolerates low-pressure feedstock ammonia and is characterized by a high circulation rate and a very low reaction temperature compared to other technologies, which operate at >180°C. With these chosen operating parameters, a very high safety level is achieved by design.

About Grupa Azoty

The Grupa Azoty Group is the undisputed leader of the Polish fertilizer market and a key player on the European market of fertilizers and chemicals. It is the second largest EU-based manufacturer of nitrogen and compound fertilizers, also enjoying a strong position on the melamine, polyamide, oxo alcohols, plasticizers and titanium white markets. Investment projects are an important pillar of the Grupa Azoty Group’s strategy, with Polimery Police, implemented by the special-purpose vehicle Grupa Azoty Polyolefins, being the Group’s largest project. Ranking among the largest chemical industry projects in Poland and Europe, Polimery Police will help diversify the Grupa Azoty Group’s business, while improving Poland’s position on the plastics market and strengthening its independence in terms of energy and raw material supplies.

• EnviNOx^® technology decreases CO₂-emissions from Orica’s three nitric acid plants by N₂O reduction of at least 98%

thyssenkrupp Uhde and Orica have successfully completed the Kooragang Island Decarbonisation Project in Newcastle, Australia with the successful commissioning of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s effective EnviNOx^® technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at Orica’s three on-site nitric acid plants. For this project, thyssenkrupp Uhde provided the proprietary equipment, including the reactor vessels and the catalysts. Orica is one of the world’s leading mining and infrastructure solution providers with a global manufacturing capability.

With the EnviNOx^® technology it is anticipated that this project will eliminate approximately 567,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents from the site per year which equals the annual emissions from 50,000 Australian homes. This reduction in greenhouse gas emissions corresponds to 48% of the site’s total greenhouse gas emissions and 11% of all chemical industry emissions in Australia.

Dr. Cord Landsmann, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde: “With our proven EnviNOx^® technology, we at thyssenkrupp Uhde are making a significant contribution to the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions, thus improving the sustainability of manufacturing and reducing the carbon footprint of industries. We are committed to a more sustainable future and therefore support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals using our proven technologies across the value chain.”

In acknowledging a significant decarbonization milestone, Orica Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Gandhi said: “This project clearly demonstrates that with the right policy settings and corporate commitments, emissions reduction is possible in hard-to-abate industries of our economy. We will continue to invest across our operations, to ensure Australian manufactured products remain competitive as the world transitions to a lower carbon economy.”

Leading technology to combat global warming

thyssenkrupp Uhde’s state-of-the-art EnviNOx^® technology for the combined removal of N₂O and NO_X is capable of almost the complete removal of N₂O and NO_X emissions from various chemical production plants. Industrial-scale EnviNOx^® units have already been successfully sold over 60 times by thyssenkrupp Uhde worldwide, annually abating more than 30,000 tonnes of NO_X and around 70,000 tonnes of N₂O, equivalent to around 20 million tonnes of CO₂.

This corresponds to the annual amount of CO₂ absorbed by more than 3 million hectares of central European forest. To date, all EnviNOx^® units together have already abated a total of more than 220 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents. Thus, EnviNOx^® technology continues to make a noticeable contribution to the global reduction of gases harmful to the climate and environment.

• Study to support the development of the Han-Ho H2 Hub Project

• Proven RHAMFS^® methodology for concept optimization of green ammonia plants

thyssenkrupp Uhde has been engaged by Ark Energy Corporation Pty Ltd on behalf of the Han-Ho H2 Consortium (the ‘Consortium’) to deliver a Feasibility Study to support the development of the Han-Ho H2 Hub Project. The study will involve a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of the power-to-ammonia value chain using thyssenkrupp Uhde’s proprietary RHAMFS^® methodology.

The goal is to evaluate the influence of various factors on the overall cost-effectiveness of the green ammonia plant and explore multiple scenarios to identify optimal plant designs. thyssenkrupp Uhde will also provide technology, engineering services and integration know-how for the green ammonia facility based on thyssenkrupp uhde^® ammonia synthesis technology. The study will allow the Han-Ho H2 Consortium to advance through the following commercial and regulatory phases of the Project.

Thore Lohmann, Executive Director Fertilizer & Methanol at thyssenkrupp Uhde, said: “With our technologies, we at thyssenkrupp Uhde are making a significant contribution to the green transformation. With new partnerships like this one with Ark Energy, we are building a sound business case for this groundbreaking green energy project and taking an important step towards climate-friendly production of green ammonia.”

Daniel Kim, Chief Executive Officer at Ark Energy: “The Consortium’s collective ambition is to build a green energy supply chain exporting up to 1.8 million tonnes of green ammonia from Australia to Korea by 2030. We have great respect for thyssenkrupp Uhde’s proven track record in ammonia built up over 90 years across 130 plants globally. We have valued thyssenkrupp Uhde’s contribution during the Concept Stage of our Han-Ho H2 Hub and look forward to working even more closely with them during the Feasibility Stage of our landmark project.”

About Ark Energy

• Technical Concept Study for the ammonia plant based thyssenkrupp’s uhde^® ammonia synthesis technologies

thyssenkrupp Uhde will support the project OFFSET consortium led by Netherlands-based project developer SwitcH2 B.V. and including partners BW Offshore Norway AS (BWO), MARIN, TU Delft, and Strohm. The consortium is developing an industrial scale floating green hydrogen and ammonia project, based on the proven concept of a floating production and offloading vessel (FPSO).

“The green transformation is the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced, and we are proud to be one of the transformation enablers with our solutions and innovations at thyssenkrupp Uhde”, says Dr. Cord Landsmann, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde. “To stop climate change, we have developed technologies that make sustainability feasible for businesses, reduce the carbon footprint of industrial value chains, and accelerate the growth of renewable energy. This is exactly what motivated us to develop our green ammonia technology.”

The collaboration between the OFFSET Project group and thyssenkrupp Uhde marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial practices. Modern engineering and cutting-edge technology are combined in the proposed FPSO ammonia plant to produce a modular and adaptable solution that will shape the future of clean offshore ammonia manufacturing.

In March 2023, SwitcH2 B.V. announced it had received Approval in Principle from DNV on its design principles for an FPSO which will produce ammonia offshore solely from renewable sources of energy. As part of the Approval in Principle process, BWO developed the topside arrangement, hull, and mooring system design for the FPSO with the engagement of thyssenkrupp Uhde via a Technical Concept Study for the ammonia plant based on thyssenkrupp’s uhde^® ammonia synthesis technologies.

The project consortium has received a grant of Euro 3 million in April 2023 from the Dutch government in support of project OFFSET. The objective is to develop a floating hydrogen and/or ammonia production and storage facility which will be connected to an adjacent wind farm by 2027.

About SwitcH2 BV

• Surfactant plant with thyssenkrupp Uhde’s proprietary jet loop reactor

thyssenkrupp Uhde Thailand has been awarded a contract by BASF for engineering services and proprietary equipment supply for its new non-ionic surfactant (NIS) plant at its Zhanjiang Verbund Site Project, Guangdong Province, China. The plant will employ thyssenkrupp Uhde’s proprietary jet loop reactor technology. Non-ionic surfactants are typically produced from an alcohol starter and oxides by alkoxylation. Surfactants are widely used as emulsifiers in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and many other applications such as grease removers, household cleaners, washing-up liquid or herbicides.

“We are very proud that BASF has selected thyssenkrupp Uhde as the technology provider based on our advanced jet loop reactor technology and expert know-how. thyssenkrupp Uhde feels honored to contribute to BASF’s success story in China”, says Brian Cameron, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde Thailand. The Thailand branch of thyssenkrupp Uhde combines strong technical expertise in the field of alkoxylation, esterification and amination with comprehensive services: R&D in its own laboratory and pilot plant facility as well as licensing, engineering, procurement, modularization, and construction.

Efficient, safe, easy to install

thyssenkrupp Uhde’s jet loop reactor represents advanced reactor technology specifically suitable for heterogeneous and highly exothermic reactions. The absence of moving parts in the reactor brings with it superior features in terms of safety. The venturi-type jet mixer has been optimized to ensure intimate contact and a superior interface between reactants. The continuous circulation of both liquid and gas phase results in perfect mixture homogeneity and avoidance of hot spots. This offers significant sustainability, safety, batch time and product quality advantages over stirred reactor technology. The proprietary jet loop reactor is already in operation in over 50 plants worldwide, delivering top quality products all over the world.

thyssenkrupp Uhde also provides a modularized plant concept. This means that the complete plant would come in prefabricated skids which are delivered to the construction site and installed in complete blocks. As these blocks are manufactured in a highly controlled environment in thyssenkrupp-supervised module yards, this approach significantly improves quality and safety while reducing overall risk to the project’s schedule by minimizing site construction activities.

About thyssenkrupp Uhde

thyssenkrupp Uhde combines unique technological expertise and decades of global experience in the engineering, procurement, construction, and service of chemical plants. We develop innovative processes and products for a more sustainable future and thus contribute to the long-term success of our customers in almost all areas of the chemical industry. Our portfolio includes leading technologies for the production of base chemicals, fertilizers, and polymers as well as complete value chains for green hydrogen and sustainable chemicals.

• BASF supplies high-performance catalysts for thyssenkrupp Uhde’s leading EnviNOx^® technology for N₂O and NOx abatement

• New EnviNOx^® unit successfully started-up at BASF’s site in Ludwigshafen

• Effective reduction of nitrous oxide emissions of more than 99% demonstrated

BASF and thyssenkrupp Uhde today announced their cooperation in the marketing and further development of catalyst and process design for thyssenkrupp Uhde’s leading EnviNOx^® technology for N₂O and NOx abatement. BASF will supply its high-performance catalysts to thyssenkrupp Uhde, enabling their customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even more effectively.

EnviNOx^® reliably removes more than 99% of all N₂O and NOx emissions, as at BASF’s site in Ludwigshafen, where a new unit successfully started up in the second half of 2022.

N₂O, commonly known as laughing gas, is a highly potent greenhouse gas. Decomposing 1 ton of N₂O into nitrogen and oxygen is judged to have the same effect as reducing 265 tons of CO₂. Eliminating N₂O emissions is a major lever in the fight against global warming. Both companies recognized the importance of reducing these emissions decades ago and have developed solutions. thyssenkrupp Uhde has successfully sold over 60 of its industrial-scale EnviNOx^® units worldwide, and the latest of these already use this combination of latest process design and new catalyst.

“The combination of the expertise of both companies in the field of N₂O abatement catalysts and processes is really going to make a difference in our joint goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”, said Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President, Process Catalysts at BASF. “Our research and development teams are working to design and produce catalysts that are highly effective, durable, and sustainable.”

“We are partnering with BASF to keep making significant improvements on our EnviNOx^® technology, further improving its sustainability, and reducing the carbon footprint. This partnership brings additional benefits for our customers, as well as to the environment as a whole, by providing high-quality, cost-effective solutions to address complex environmental challenges”, said Dr. Ralph Kleinschmidt, Head of Technology & Innovation at thyssenkrupp Uhde.

About BASF’s Catalysts Division