German chemicals giant BASF has produced the first volumes of green ammonia using certified renewable hydrogen in Central Europe at its Verbud site in Ludwigshafen.
The company commissioned its 54MW electrolyser, the largest in Europe, back in March, which will produce 8,000 tonnes of H2 a year.
Most of this output will be added to the roughly 250,000 tonnes of fossil or industrial by-product H2 currently produced annually at the site, which is already used to produce ammonia, methanol and vitamin production.
This means that only a small percentage of ammonia produced in Ludwigshafen will count as a certified renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) on a mass balance basis, proportional to how much green hydrogen is fed into the system.
However, BASF notes in a press release that demand has increased for green ammonia, or chemicals with a low product carbon footprint (PCF), and is expected to rise even further.
“Our customers, as well as BASF’s own downstream businesses, need low-carbon products already today to explore their market,” said Jens Aßmann, vice-president for business management of the ammonia value chain at the chemicals firm.
“We are proud to offer the first renewable ammonia produced in central Europe with a very low PCF.”
In addition to the EU’s updated Renewable Energy Directive, which stipulates industry must displace 42% of its hydrogen and derivatives with certified renewable alternatives by 2030, the bloc will start to phase out free allowances on the Emissions Trading System (ETS) for ammonia and fertiliser production from next year— incentivising a shift for lower-carbon options.
