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Saudi Aramco plans new green hydrogen, ammonia project

  • Spanish Market: Fertilizers, Hydrogen
  • 27/10/21

State-controlled energy giant Saudi Aramco has signed an initial agreement to build a new green hydrogen and ammonia plant with Hong Kong-based green hydrogen developer InterContinental Energy, as it tries to bring private investment into the sector.

The agreement also includes Saudi firm Modern Industrial Investment Holding, Aramco said today. No other details such as the size or location of the project were revealed.

Intercontinental Energy is already developing two huge hydrogen and ammonia plants in Australia and one in Oman.

The announcement was made during Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, just days after crown prince Mohammed bin Salman set a goal for the country to become net carbon neutral by 2060. Aramco itself aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly-owned operated assets a decade earlier.

Saudi Arabia is targeting hydrogen production — both blue and green — of 2.9mn t/yr by 2030 and 4mn t/yr by 2035. Its first green hydrogen project, at Neom in the country's northwest, will produce only 240,000 t/yr by 2025.

At the same time, Aramco is expanding its focus on emerging sectors to drive private-sector innovation and investment. Intercontinental Energy's hydrogen deal was among five initial agreements signed by Aramco covering nature-based solutions to reduce emissions, manufacturing advanced non-metallic building materials, and digital technologies for oil and gas applications.


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German 2030 coal phase-out called into question


03/12/24
03/12/24

German 2030 coal phase-out called into question

London, 3 December (Argus) — Germany's coal phase-out targets are being reassessed owing to the likelihood of further delays to the passing of the power plant security act (KWSG), as well as decisions already taken on the future design of the electricity market. Germany has pledged to phase out coal and lignite-fired generation by 2038 at the latest, but energy ministry BMWK said an earlier, market-driven phase-out by 2030 is possible . Grid regulator Bnetza said 21GW of new gas-fired capacity — which should in the future be hydrogen-ready — would be needed by 2031 for a complete coal phase-out. Utility Leag said it does not see the current government changing the legal phase-out deadline. But "any further delay" to adding controllable replacement capacities would create an "urgent" situation, it said. And utility EnBW told Argus that it remains committed to phasing out coal by 2038 at the latest, while adding that "security of supply must not be jeopardised". At a transmission system operators' (TSO) forum held in November, TSO Amprion's Peter Lopion said the KWSG is vital to encourage plant construction in the south, where more gas-fired capacity is crucial if coal is to be phased out. He also raised concerns about Germany's target to phase out gas-fired power by 2045 — the year in which the country aims to reach climate neutrality — given the lack of a hydrogen economy and hydrogen production. Earlier this month, the CDU/CSU opposition parties commissioned an investigation into the feasibility of reactivating decommissioned nuclear plants, seeing the shutdown of Germany's final nuclear plant in April 2023 as "ideologically wrong". EnBW has told Argus that the decommissioning of its 1.4GW GKN II plant — the dismantling of which began in May 2023 — is "virtually irreversible". By Bea Leverett and John Horstmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

German stakeholders doubt power plant strategy passing


03/12/24
03/12/24

German stakeholders doubt power plant strategy passing

London, 3 December (Argus) — The collapse of the German government on 6 November has led to uncertainty over the future of Germany's power market, particularly with regard to the passing of the power plant strategy (KWSG) before federal elections scheduled for 23 February. Under the power plant strategy, economic and climate ministry BMWK proposed tenders for the construction of 12.5GW of power plant capacity and 500MW of long-term storage over the next few years. This includes 10GW of hydrogen-ready gas-fired capacity, of which 5GW was planned to be offered next year, with the government aiming to hold tenders in early 2025 . Renewables association BEE announced on 26 November that BMWK had submitted a KWSG draft for industry consultation over 72 hours, indicating the minority government's urgent desire to enact the law before the elections. Incumbent energy minister Robert Habeck previously said politicians from the opposition CDU party had been "constantly" writing letters to ask when the power plant strategy would "finally" be passed. But the deputy head of the CDU/CSU, Jens Spahn, told an industry event last week that owing to the former coalition's sidelining of the opposition when drawing up the strategy, the CDU/CSU cannot be expected to support it. Utility EnBW told Argus in November that it expects the KWSG to be "supported" under the next government owing to a cross-party consensus on the need for more capacity. EnBW said it would be prepared to take part in the tenders "if the conditions allow it", whereas utility Leag told Argus that while "considerable progress" had been made in its preparations for the tenders, it is unable to do anything "concrete" until the regulatory framework has been clarified. But it voiced doubts over whether the KWSG will be passed before the elections. And utility RWE told Argus that while it would not "speculate" on the KWSG's passing, it will "not put planning efforts on hold" and will "proceed as usual" in its preparations. Vattenfall declined to comment, while Uniper was not immediately available. At an electricity market forum hosted by the country's four transmission system operators last month, grid regulator Bnetza's Tobias Lengner-Ludwig said that Bnetza and potential investors will need at least six months to prepare for the tenders, which could cause further delays. But in its position paper on the KWSG in response to BMWK's consultation, energy and water association BDEW said investing in the tenders in their current form is unattractive, as risks are too high owing to a potential lack of hydrogen supply, possible delays in the setting up of hydrogen infrastructure and short implementation timeframes. And while BEE told Argus that it does not expect the KWSG to be passed in this legislative period, it is not demanding its passage, as it views the proposal to invest in hydrogen-ready gas-fired plants unfavourably. Such a strong commitment to hydrogen risks fossil fuel lock-ins and high electricity prices, it said, particularly owing to the initially limited availability of green hydrogen. It said the government should focus on adding flexible renewable capacity by maximising the potential of existing sources, including hydropower, geothermal, battery storage and combined heat and power. German solar association BSW told Argus that alternatives to conventional generation — such as flexible bioenergy and storage systems — should be expanded to add dispatchable capacity. Even if the KWSG were passed in this legislative period, it would only have an impact in the early 2030s, it said. While clean spark spreads for lower-efficiency units for each year to 2027 have remained mostly negative this year, clean spark spreads for higher-efficiency units for 2025 turned negative in September after being in the money for most of 2024. And clean spark spreads for higher-efficiency units for 2026 and 2027 have averaged around €0.25/MWh and minus €1.40/MWh this year, despite the latter almost consistently being positive since the start of September. By Bea Leverett and John Horstmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

LAT Nitrogen curtails CAN, urea, NPK output at Linz


02/12/24
02/12/24

LAT Nitrogen curtails CAN, urea, NPK output at Linz

Amsterdam, 2 December (Argus) — Major European producer LAT Nitrogen has halted calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), urea and NPK output at its Linz site in Upper Austria to at least the end of this year, citing the economic outlook and uncertain demand for straight-nitrogen fertilizers. The producer has not provided a fixed timeline for the curtailment but said it aims to resume output as soon as demand and "natural gas developments" allow. Nitrogen-fertilizer production at the Linz facility has been hampered since mid-September. The producer withdrew from the German nitrogen market on 14 November , citing a surge in gas costs. It carried out maintenance at the facility from mid-September to early November , affecting nitrogen-fertilizer output. The Linz site is a major source of fertilizers for central and eastern Europe, with CAN 27 production typically around 600,000 t/yr in recent years, according to the latest IFA data. LAT operates a significant distribution network in the region. The recent rise in European gas prices is pressuring nitrogen-fertilizer output on the continent and compounding lower grain prices and slim demand. Major supplier Yara halted production at its Ferrara urea plant in Italy from 7 November until at least the end of January. The facility has a capacity of 600,000 t/yr of ammonia and 600,000 t/yr of urea. Argus' day-ahead assessment of natural gas prices at the TTF rose by a fifth in November to close at around $14.5/mn Btu on Friday. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

China's sulphur prices set to cool


02/12/24
02/12/24

China's sulphur prices set to cool

London, 2 December (Argus) — Prices of sulphur delivered to China are expected to lose momentum in the coming weeks, following lower volumes of phosphates exports. Sulphur prices have rallied over the past few months, with delivered granular sulphur prices to China rising $73.5/t, or 69pc, from the start of the third quarter to $179.5/t cfr as of 28 November, as a result of robust demand meeting tight supply in the sulphur market. Delivered prices are expected to now peak in the coming weeks, before softening. Scheduled refinery maintenance in Saudi Arabia, and port congestion at a few ports significantly reduced spot availability in the third quarter, and product moving from east to west of Suez during the fourth quarter also shortened supply to cover demand from east of Suez markets. Meanwhile an increase in sulphur burning activity in countries like India and Indonesia supported demand, with the latter purchasing as much as 350,000-370,000t of granular sulphur in just one round of buying. Domestic Chinese ex-works prices also rose by Yn507.5/t, or 48pc, over the same period to Yn1,565/t ex-works, equivalent to around $175.6/t cfr. However, talk of a potential halt DAP and MAP exports from December may soften domestic sulphur prices instead. Fertilizer producers are also expected to continue taking a cautious approach to raw material buying, and moderate any stockpiling while fertilizer exports are curbed. China's port stocks have been on a declining trend in recent weeks, as a low level of import bookings in the spot market during October and November has limited the replenishing of inventories, and end users have consumed some tonnes from existing stockpiles. Port inventories have dropped from 2.59mn t on 13 September to 2.18mn t on 29 November. This is expected to lead to some stock build from import buying in the run up to the lunar new year starting on 28 January 2025. This holiday typically marks the point by which fertilizer producers aim to have sufficient stocks to enable them to slow buying over the holiday period. Demand from southern Africa and Indonesia for December and January cargoes remains open, and buyers are expected to accept higher announced prices from the Middle East. Qatar's Muntajat/QatarEnergy increased its Qatar Sulphur Price (QSP) by $27/t to $163/t fob Ras Laffan/Mesaieed for December. Offer prices for delivered markets have reflected a rising cost level, with Indonesian offers against in the week of the 28 November ranging from the high-$180s/t cfr to the low $190s/t cfr for December-lifting Middle East parcels. Higher sulphur burning operations in both north Africa and Indonesia continue to drive demand in the short term. In north Africa, Morocco's OCP is ramping up its latest sulphur burner, and this is expected to contribute around 550,000 t/yr of sulphur demand at capacity. This is in addition to the sulphur burner with 417,000 t/yr capacity that started in the second quarter of 2024. The actual capacity usage is expected to be driven by market realities in the phosphate fertilizer market, with the producer typically tailoring capacity usage to market dynamics and demand levels. In Indonesia nickel-driven sulphur demand is also expected to continue growing. Indonesian sulphur imports for the year are expected to exceed the 3mn t threshold from 2.66mn t last year, following an increase in PT QMB New Energy's sulphur burning as part of its HPAL Phase 2 operations. This will contribute around 333,000 t/yr of additional sulphur demand when operating at full capacity, data show. By Deon Ngee and Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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