• Ammonia converter revamp to set new standards in reliability

• Reduced energy consumption of ammonia plant

thyssenkrupp Uhde and Johnson Matthey have been commissioned by İGSAŞ - İstanbul Gübre Sanayii A.Ş., Kocaeli (Turkey) to supply a solution to significantly reduce the pressure in the synthesis loop of an ammonia plant while maintaining the nameplate capacity of 1,200 mtpd. The new cartridge will be based on the latest design principles, including a modular design with removable catalyst beds which enable better accessibility during catalyst filling, axial-radial flow beds, lower pressure drop, etc. The cartridge, which will be installed in the existing pressure shell, will bring further benefits in terms of safety as no major welding activities are required during installation.

The currently installed cartridge, based on a reliable design by thyssenkrupp Uhde, has reached an extraordinarily long lifetime of 36 years in operation. Usually, replacements are necessary after two catalyst exchange cycles, approximately after 20 years. However, thanks to the robust design and high quality requirements set by thyssenkrupp Uhde during equipment manufacturing and testing, life times of 30 years and more are feasible.

Kutay Durna, factory manager at İGSAŞ: “With this upgrade of our plant, we are ready for the future. Key decision points for choosing thyssenkrupp Uhde were the proven reliability of their products combined with reducing the energy consumption in our Kocaeli plant.”

Thore Lohmann, Executive Director Fertilizer and Methanol at thyssenkrupp Uhde: “This is further proof that our uhde^® ammonia technology can meet the diverse requirements of plant owners around the globe. Our proprietary design of ammonia converter cartridges meets the highest quality standards and, when retrofitted to ammonia converters, it hugely enhances plant performance.”

The improved reliability of the plant and the energy savings will be achieved by combining the new uhde^® ammonia converter cartridge with Johnson Matthey’s high-performance catalyst KATALCO^TM 74-1. This combination will open up the potential for a further increase in plant capacity in the future, for example for green ammonia production.

The new equipment is under fabrication, and start-up is scheduled for mid-2024. thyssenkrupp Uhde will perform full supervision services during converter opening, catalyst unloading, cartridge disassembly, converter inspection, cartridge assembly, catalyst filling/activation, startup and performance testing at this time.

Besides supplying the new cartridge for İGSAŞ, thyssenkrupp Uhde currently has eight additional uhde^® ammonia converter cartridges underway for their current blue ammonia projects.

About İGSAŞ:

İGSAŞ with its products transported to each agricultural district of Turkey, joined Yildizlar Yatirim Holding by the way of privatization in 2004 and is one of the largest industrial corporations of Turkey. The plant in Kocaeli, as one of four fertilizer factories in total, produces ammonia and composite fertilizer products.

About thyssenkrupp Uhde:

• Start of the first test phase under real conditions

• High-purity CO₂ as feedstock

Just over a year ago, Holcim Germany, thyssenkrupp Uhde and the Technical University of Berlin announced that they had partnered up to research the use of the latest amine scrubbing technology to capture the CO₂ process gas at Holcim’s cement plant in Beckum. Having installed a first system module at the plant, the first test phase of the project is now beginning.

The goal is to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from existing cement plants and at the same time prospectively utilize the captured CO₂ for other applications. Until late 2025, the partners will be conducting small-scale tests of the promising technology which will potentially make an important contribution to the decarbonization of the cement industry in Germany. If the tests go as planned, the carbon capture and processing will produce high-purity CO₂, which could then be supplied as a commodity to other industries or processed into other energy carriers such as methanol.

Over the test phase, continuous adjustments will be made and the test capacities expanded with the installation of a second system module with new, innovative processes. The performance and efficiency of these devices are being tested using real exhaust gas at Holcim's cement plant located in Beckum, Germany. With this process, the partners are seeking to make a contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gases, especially in existing cement production plants. The aim is to retrofit the plants with devices for capturing CO₂ from the process gas without having to make any further adjustments to the production process. The project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action under the funding number 03EE5103A.

About the Holcim Germany Group

Holcim Germany is one of Germany’s leading companies for innovative, sustainable and digital construction products and solutions. As a pioneer in sustainable construction, the Holcim team develops tailor-made solutions for builders, civil contractors, architects and engineers - with a clear focus on climate change mitigation and a circular economy. Our mission: To build more with less. Holcim embraces diversity: The Group employs around 1,800 people of 36 different nationalities at around 130 locations in Germany and the Netherlands. Holcim Germany is a subsidiary of the world's leading building materials group Holcim Ltd.

About TU Berlin

TU Berlin is one of Germany's largest technical universities. With 49 Bachelor's and 89 Master's courses on offer, there are currently around 34,000 young people enrolled at the university. About 26 percent of its students come from abroad. 7,800 people research, teach, learn and work at the TU Berlin. In and around the capital, TU Berlin is the only university that offers engineering subjects. Bringing together engineering and natural sciences, planning and social sciences, economics and humanities, it trains the young talents urgently needed by industry and society.

About thyssenkrupp Uhde

• uhde^® high-flexibility ammonia technology as basis for green ammonia plants

• Modularization enables accelerated scale-up and integration readiness of green ammonia plants

thyssenkrupp Uhde and IDESA INDUSTRIAL PLANTS SLU (IDIP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on developing and fabricating modules for green ammonia projects. The MoU was signed in Essen, Germany on March 23, 2023. The agreement will focus on the development of a joint project within the sector for the design, procurement, fabrication, and construction of modularized green ammonia plants. The modularized solutions will be based on globally proven uhde® ammonia technology, which has already been applied in over 130 large-scale chemical plants across the world.

Under the agreement, the companies will work together to further develop modularized green ammonia plants suitable for integration with green hydrogen production units. These modularized plants will drive forward green ammonia projects, which are vital for the success of the energy transition.

The cooperation between the two companies will combine IDIP’s extensive know-how in the fabrication of skids and modules with thyssenkrupp Uhde’s vast experience in the engineering and procurement of ammonia plants, leading to synergies, cost savings, improved fabrication efficiency, increased competitiveness and risk mitigation. At the same time, it will unlock capacity constraints, improve supply chains and enable thyssenkrupp Uhde to prepare for the increased demand that is to come in the wake of the enormous future investments in green ammonia markets that are required to secure successful energy transition.

Jesús Alonso, Chairman IDESA: “The main focus of the current energy transition is to decarbonize the future by moving away from the use of fossil fuels. IDIP is committed to the concept of decarbonization, which implies reliance on new sustainable technologies and raw materials to reduce carbon emissions. In this context, green ammonia obtained from renewable energy sources is a key element in achieving this goal. Together with thyssenkrupp Uhde as a technology partner, we at IDIP will pursue our sustainable targets and work on modular plant technologies for the supply of green ammonia to decarbonize the energy and industry sector.”

Liege Robson, COO thyssenkrupp Uhde: “We at thyssenkrupp Uhde are committed to the success of the green transformation on a large scale. This includes forging new partnerships and developing our technologies to make a decisive contribution to the decarbonization and CO₂ reduction process. The construction of numerous green ammonia plants is the key to a successful energy transition. By working together with IDIP on the modularization of these plants, we can decisively shorten the construction time of these plants and thus accelerate the global energy transition.”

Green ammonia is key for global CO₂-free energy chains

Hydrogen is a critical part of the energy transition as it can provide energy for hard-to-electrify sectors such as long-haul transport, chemicals, iron and steel, refining, marine fuel, trucking, and power generation. Ammonia is an ideal hydrogen carrier as it is much easier to compress and transport than hydrogen itself. Once shipped to its destination, the ammonia needs to be decomposed, or “cracked,” into hydrogen, before use in the energy value chain.

Energy produced from hydrogen creates only water as a byproduct with zero emissions of carbon dioxide. As the industry scales up globally, with strong demand from Germany and other countries in Europe, the accelerated expansion of green ammonia plants worldwide is becoming essential.

Leading technologies for emission reduction across the value chain

thyssenkrupp Uhde has over 100 years of experience in the engineering and construction of chemical plants, having built more than 2,500 in total. Among the 130 ammonia plants built are some of the largest plants worldwide. These have frequently set new industry standards, including in their use of the uhde® dual pressure technology ‑ a low-risk and fast-track solution for large-capacity ammonia plants with reduced specific energy consumption. Alongside the fertilizer industry, thyssenkrupp Uhde is now also targeting the clean energy market with its clean ammonia technologies, and rounds off the value chain by offering ammonia storage and ammonia cracking solutions needed for the transition towards clean energy.

With respect to the modularization of chemical plants, including prefabrication, preassembly and offsite fabrication, thyssenkrupp Uhde already has extensive expertise and experience in the downstream oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, clean coal/gasification and alternate fuels industry sectors. In the past 20 years, thyssenkrupp Uhde has built multiple modularized plants, leading to accelerated project schedules, improved execution efficiency, and increased safety on site.

About IDESA Industrial Plants:

IDESA Industrial Plants (IDIP) is a company created in 2015 to expand IDESA’s portfolio of services, providing integrated solutions to its clients. The work carried out since then, IDIP’s evolution towards a company with its own entity and its ability to understand the changing needs of the market has led IDIP to develop in different business areas such as the manufacturing of modules and skids, the participation in Turnarounds as mechanical and consultancy contractor or the construction of industrial plants. Both IDIP and IDESA are committed to the Energy Transition and in view of the emergence of new clean and green energies are now involved in projects related to renewable energy, green ammonia, carbon capture, bunkering terminals, LNG and bioLNG liquefaction and regasification plants.

• CO₂ emissions to be reduced by more than 60%

• uhde^® ammonia technology enables world-leading single-train capacity

thyssenkrupp Uhde has been selected as technology provider for a new “Blue Ammonia” plant in the United States by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui), one of the leading ammonia marketers in the world, and CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF), the world’s largest producer of ammonia. The new greenfield facility will produce blue ammonia by leveraging carbon capture and sequestration processes to reduce carbon emissions by more than 60% compared to conventional ammonia. As a first step, thyssenkrupp Uhde will conduct a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the proposed joint venture of CF and Mitsui. The aim is to construct an export-oriented greenfield blue ammonia facility in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, USA. Demand for blue ammonia is expected to grow significantly as a decarbonized energy source, both for its hydrogen content and as a fuel or feedstock itself.

CF and Mitsui had previously signed a joint development agreement that provides the framework for the FEED study. In addition, CF Industries acquired land during the third quarter of 2022 on the west bank of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on which the proposed facility would be constructed should the companies agree to move forward. CF Industries and Mitsui expect to make a final investment decision on the proposed facility in the second half of 2023. Construction and commissioning of a new world-scale capacity ammonia plant typically takes approximately 4 years.

Dr. Cord Landsmann, CEO thyssenkrupp Uhde: “We are proud to be chosen once more by our long-term customer to take another big step towards more environmental friendliness. The market clearly moves towards clean ammonia, for energy as well as for fertilizers. Reducing emissions wherever possible is the need of the hour, and we have the solutions and the cross-industry integration competencies.”

thyssenkrupp Uhde has realized several projects for CF, and both parties can look back on decades of successful cooperation. In 2016, major ammonia and urea/UAN production units in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, were completed, and new ammonia and urea units in Port Neal, Iowa. For both fertilizer complexes thyssenkrupp Uhde was responsible for the basic engineering, detail engineering, procurement and supply services, as well as providing services during construction and commissioning.

Climate protection made simple: emission reduction at large scale

thyssenkrupp Uhde has over 100 years of experience in engineering and building of chemical plants, more than 2,500 in total. As a global technology plus EPC provider, integrating various technologies and building complete chemical complexes is part of their track record. Among the 130 ammonia plants built are some of the largest plants worldwide, frequently setting new industry standards such as the uhde^® dual pressure technology. Besides the fertilizer industry, thyssenkrupp Uhde is also targeting the clean energy market with its clean ammonia technologies and is also completing the value chain by offering ammonia storage and ammonia cracking solutions being relevant for the transition towards clean energy.

The aviation industry plays an essential role in recent initiatives to create sustainable refinery and petrochemical products. Market and legislation are asking more and more for sustainable jet fuel. The demand for hydrocarbon-based aviation fuel, which is currently almost exclusively produced conventionally from crude oil (Jet A1), will increase significantly in the next few years as airline operations continue to grow. At the same time, there is very little potential for other substitutes such as hydrogen operating engines or battery-powered aircraft in the large-capacity aircraft sector.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a high potential alternative to fossil based fuel, and can be used as drop-in fuel without major modifications to the engines and infrastructure. Numerous technologies based on renewable or synthetic CO2-based raw material sources have coexisted for years. All current SAFs have in common that they are used in a blend with conventional jet fuel, however, depending on the production route, the drop-in rate is typically limited to a maximum of 50%.

Within the M2SAF project consortium, companies have joined forces with the aim of developing a process that, in addition to producing a 100% drop-in capable SAF, also allows the process route used for this to be as selective as possible, with minimal additional CO2 emissions and with a high degree of integrability into existing structures or new installations. The starting point of the process is sustainably produced methanol.

The 2.5-year development project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) with a total sum of around 5.2 million euros. Activities were successfully launched in August 2022. In addition to catalyst development, process development, plant integration and the design of a demo plant, the project also includes techno-economic and ecological analysis as well as accompanying support for the certification and analysis of the new aviation fuels.

The structure of the consortium combines a wide range of complementary industrial and academic expertise:

As a leading global manufacturer, BASF Process Catalysts develops innovative chemical and refinery catalysts based on the needs of its customers. In the M2SAF project, BASF Process Catalysts is responsible for catalyst development and supply. BASF Process Catalysts draws on its broad portfolio of commercial catalysts and also works with R&D to develop new and innovative solutions for the M2SAF value chain.

As a worldwide operating plant manufacturer, thyssenkrupp Uhde has extensive engineering and commercialization expertise and is well known as provider for its sustainable process technologies. In the M2SAF project thyssenkrupp Uhde is bringing in its experience by developing the technology, optimizing the process steps in terms of reaction control and efficiency, integrating the individual processes into an economical and sustainable overall process, designing the demonstration plant and calculating the total investment cost for a commercial plant.

As a refinery and specialty chemicals site, OMV Germany has many years of experience in the development and implementation of innovative production technologies. Alongside petrochemicals, the production and sale of kerosene (approx. 700 kt/a), including OMV´s own pipeline connection to Munich Airport, is one of the core business areas at the Burghausen site and within the Group. With its know-how on the subject of SAF and in the development and construction of flexible pilot plants - and in particular their integration into existing plant structures through to scaling up to large-scale industrial production - OMV makes a valuable contribution to the M2SAF development team.

DLR has a wide range of experience, methods and international networks in the field of synthetic aviation fuel evaluation. As a member of ASTM, DLR supports the design of new standards (e.g. a 100% SAF). For the approval of new fuels, DLR is the contact for fuel prescreening. In M2SAF, DLR evaluates the approvability of the produced fuels by means of advanced machine learning models as well as the production process by means of techno-economic and ecological analysis.

ASG is a DAkkS-certified testing laboratory for fuel analysis and deals with standard and special analysis for liquid, solid and gaseous fuels. In addition to fossil fuels, the focus is primarily on regenerative fuels, for the specific analysis of which ASG is able to adapt methods such as two-dimensional gas chromatography. For the M2SAF project, these methods will be combined with novel detectors in order to enable the complete characterization of complex substance mixtures including trace components together with established methods. To translate the results into widely available fuel standards, ASG also has years of expertise in national and international standardization bodies.

Contakt BASF Process Catalysts: