(Herøya, Norway) – Fertilizer company Yara International has commissioned its 24-megawatt green hydrogen production plant in the Herøya industrial park in the Norwegian port city of Porsgrunn. This hydrogen will be used to produce ammonia, which in turn can be used to manufacture fertilizers and also as marine fuel.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (left) and Yara CEO Svein Tore Holsether at the opening of Yara's renewable hydrogen plant at Herøya Industrial Park, Porsgrunn, Norway © Yara International ASA
The hydrogen will replace the natural gas used to date. This is an "important milestone in the decarbonization of the food value chain, shipping and other energy-intensive industries," says Svein Tore Holsether, Yara President and CEO. The CO2-free fertilizers will be part of a new portfolio called "Yara Climate Choice". In addition to the fertilizers produced with green hydrogen, there are those based on low-carbon ammonia, which is produced using carbon capture and storage (CCS).
In the processing plant, the hydrogen is cooled to 15 degrees and fed to the ammonia plant © Yara International ASA
In 2023, Yara signed a CO2 transport and storage agreement with Northern Lights, a joint venture between Total Energies, Equinor and Shell, and part of the Norwegian government's "Longship" decarbonization strategy. Yara Clean Ammonia, headquartered in Oslo, says it operates the largest global ammonia network with 15 ships, has access to 18 ammonia terminals and several ammonia production and consumption sites worldwide.
In March of this year, Herøya Industripark AS announced the construction of "Europe's largest commercial test plant for hydrogen and ammonia" in Porsgrunn. In addition to the industrial park operator, Equinor and Skagerak Energi AS are also on board. The project is located in the four municipalities of Grenland's coastal strip.
The aim of the collaboration with industry was to generate revenue from testing services, consulting and R&D cooperation, a statement said at the time. The Herøya Industrial Park has an existing infrastructure and thus has strategic advantages that are conducive to the construction of a large-scale test facility.
Photo above
The Herøya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, Norway. The operator is planning a large test center for hydrogen and ammonia technologies there. © Herøya Industripark AS / Dag Jenssen
