Yara opens German ammonia terminal to support hydrogen imports

Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara has opened an ammonia terminal in Germany which it says could import 530,000 tonnes of hydrogen into Europe per year.

Announced last year, the new Brunsbüttel terminal will be able to handle up to three million tonnes of ammonia per year, coming as part of the firm’s plans to strengthen its core nitrogen business.

Yara has said the terminal will be an enabler of the German hydrogen economy, putting the company “in pole position to secure low-emission ammonia supply to Germany.”

Germany has increasingly placed its bets on imports in meeting vast swathes of its hydrogen demand. In July, the government approved a dedicated import strategy to bring up to 2.73 million tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen into the country by 2030.

Read more: Berlin approves import strategy to meet up to 70% of 2030 hydrogen demand

It seems, however, Yara won’t be providing ammonia conversion capacity at the Brunsbüttel site.

“The ammonia can be delivered directly from the terminal to the point of use, where it could be cracked to low-emission hydrogen,” a company statement said.

Located at the meeting point of the North Sea and Kiel Canal, Yara believes the terminal could hold importance not only for German offtakers, but for wider Europe also.

“Up to three million tonnes of low-CO2 ammonia can be imported annually via the terminal in Brunsbüttel,” the firm said. “This would correspond to 530,000 tonnes of hydrogen or around 5% of the total European hydrogen target for 2030.”

It comes after Yara in June inaugurated its 24MW green ammonia plant in Herøya, Norway.

Read more:Europe’s ‘largest’ hydrogen and ammonia production plant inaugurated

With capacity to produce up to 20,500 tonnes of ammonia per year, the plant uses PEM electrolysers provided by ITM Power.