Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study
- $944k Funded by ARENA
- $3.64m Total project cost
Summary
The Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study is for a demonstration-scale renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia production and export facility on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia.
Need
Yara Pilbara (Yara) is the world’s leading ammonia and fertiliser production company with approximately 20 per cent market share of the global ammonia trade. Yara’s Burrup Peninsula facility currently produces ammonia by using natural gas as a feedstock for its steam methane reforming process, which produces fossil-fuel based hydrogen. The hydrogen is then used to feed an ammonia synthesis process to produce ammonia. Yara is investigating producing renewable hydrogen to feed its ammonia production process, which will reduce emissions produced by the facility.
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Report: ENGIE-YARA Renewable Hydrogen and Ammonia Deployment in Pilbara
This report details proceedings on the demonstration-scale renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia production and export facility on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia.
Video: Yara Green Ammonia
Green ammonia, at the crossroads of crop nutrition and energy, will decarbonize the crop nutrition sector; It also stands as the easiest low-carbon energy carrier in the energy transition.
Image: Yara Pilbara Site
Arial view of the site at Murujuga, Western Australia.
Media Release: Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study
ARENA announced funding to Yara Pilbara Fertilisers Pty Ltd to support a feasibility study for the production of renewable hydrogen and ammonia.
Action
In collaboration with global energy company ENGIE, the Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study will investigate the feasibility of producing renewable hydrogen via electrolysis powered by onsite solar PV. Yara’s objective is that for the demonstration plant, up to three per cent of the hydrogen consumed on site will be renewable hydrogen. The blended hydrogen will subsequently be converted to ammonia and sold for further processing into domestic and international markets. The feasibility study will also investigate using seawater for the electrolyser.
Outcome
The Feasibility Study will inform a project to generate renewable hydrogen that will displace up to 30,000 tonnes per year of ammonia that Yara currently derives from fossil fuels. The study will be the first step on the path to achieving commercial scale production of renewable hydrogen and ammonia for export. In the long term, Yara is aiming to produce hydrogen and ammonia entirely through renewable energy. This approach will allow Yara to avoid any major augmentation to the existing plant and therefore minimise the cost and time needed to produce renewable ammonia.
Additional impact
This project has the potential to ‘unlock’ the value of vast areas of vacant Pilbara land by supporting the development of a new industry that captures solar energy for conversion to hydrogen and other valuable products.
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ARENAWIRE Blogs
How could renewable hydrogen power our lives?
Hydrogen offers a way to produce a renewable, emissions-free fuel using the power of the sun and wind.
Yara Fertilisers scopes renewable hydrogen switch
One of the world’s largest ammonia producers will explore the feasibility of making a switch to renewable hydrogen.
