Alaska inches closer to its first floating ammonia production

Alaska-based energy company Pacific H2 has partnered with Aleut, an Alaska Native regional corporation, to develop green ammonia production facilities on Adak Island.

Pacific H2’s project, described as a “significant investment in the Aleut region’s economy”, aims to produce about 200,000 tons per year of renewable ammonia for export.

As understood, ammonia production would take the place onboard the P2XFloater, a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel developed by H2Carrier and approved by DNV.

P2XFloater is designed to house on-deck PEM electrolyzers for hydrogen production and Haber Bosch equipment for ammonia production. Compared to shore production, the FPSO method is said to have advantages of lower construction costs and the ability to be relocated to match demand or resource availability.

The facility is planned to be powered by wind energy. To construct onshore wind turbines and supporting infrastructure, Pacific H2 has leased about 3,500 acres of land on Adak Island, also known as the ‘Birthplace of the Winds’.

Sitting near the convergence of the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean, Adak’s location is described as “uniquely strategic for this endeavor”, being the United States’ westernmost ice-free deepwater port and located within a seven-day shipping radius of major Asian markets.

With the lease agreement in place, the installation of meteorological monitoring stations on Adak is scheduled to commence this summer, which will allow Pacific H2 to gather detailed wind data and to determine the appropriate turbine models needed.

Construction is anticipated to take approximately three years, with ammonia production and export operations projected to begin in the early 2030s.

The project is currently in the permitting and early development stages.

“This is a meaningful opportunity for Adak, for Alaska, and for the renewable energy industry,” said Skoey Vergen, President and CEO of Aleut. “Pacific H2’s project brings global innovation to a local setting. Most importantly, it opens the door for sustainable economic growth in Adak and creates long-term opportunities for the region.”