YamnaCo has signed a land reservation agreement with the Port of Açu for a green hydrogen-based ammonia project set to produce up to one million tonnes per year.
Located in the port industrial complex of the Port of Açu, in the northeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the hub is expected to require around 1.8GW of electrolysers to fulfil its targeted ammonia production output.
Under the contract, Yamna will be granted a further two square km to the one square km that the British firm had already been allocated.
H2 View understands that Yamna plans to take FID in 2027 before the first green molecules are produced in 2030.
“The process leading to the signature of the land reservation agreement has been highly collaborative and efficient, and we are confident that this strong cooperation will continue throughout the next phases of the project, paving the way toward a successful Final Investment Decision (FID),” explained the company’s CEO, Abdelaziz Yatribi.
“At Yamna, we look forward to playing a key role in the success of this project, leveraging our expertise in green hydrogen and ammonia.”
The Port of Açu is owned by Prumo Logística and Port of Antwerp-Bruges International and represents one of Brazil’s major oil and gas export facilities – handling 40% of the nation’s oil exports.
Eugenio Figueiredo, CEO of Port of Açu, claimed the port is “one of the best infrastructures in the country to sustainably support the decarbonisation of the industry.”
It offers deep draft, available land with direct access to the quay, and a service cluster bringing together multiple suppliers for port and maritime support.
The Brazilian port also agreed to a land reservation contract with Fuella last August. They want to implement a 520MW ammonia plant at the port, securing a “significant area” of the facility.
Read more:Prumo and Fuella secure contract for hydrogen hub at Brazilian port
Policy Pillar: US awaits 45V clarity as Canada and Brazil seize hydrogen opportunities
In South America, Brazil’s highly anticipated low-carbon hydrogen bill was signed into law by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Having been initially passed by the nation’s lower house in 2023, the bill creates the legal framework for low-carbon hydrogen, including R$18.3bn of incentives and a certification scheme for the energy carrier.
The bill was originally unveiled with a definition of low-carbon hydrogen set at 4kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per kg of hydrogen or less – in line with the lowest tier of credits available under the US 45V. However, having undergone debate in the lower house, that definition limit was raised to 7kg CO2e/kg of hydrogen.
