Fortescue awards FEED contract for green ammonia plant in Norway

Australia-based green energy, technology and metals company Fortescue has allocated Tecnimont, a business unit of Italy’s Maire, a front-end engineering design (FEED) work for the green ammonia plant in the Nordgulen fjord in Norway.

The scope of work entails the design of electrolyzer integration, the air separation unit for nitrogen production, the ammonia production plant, as well as storage and ship loading facilities.

As part of the agreement, Tecnimont will also submit an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) proposal for the realization of the plant.

The facility will produce green ammonia through electrolyzers that will use renewable hydropower for hydrogen production. According to Maire, unlike other renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, hydropower is stable over time, greatly simplifying the configuration and operation of the plant as well as its efficiency.

The plant is expected to ship the resulting green ammonia to domestic and European markets, contributing to the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries.

Alessandro Bernini, Maire CEO, commented: “We are proud to support Norway with this new sustainable initiative aimed at decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, in particular the shipping sector, where ammonia is playing a pivotal role.”

To remind, in December 2023, Fortescue was awarded a grant of €203,7 million by the European Union for the green ammonia plant in Norway, part of the Holmaneset Project.

According to most recent reports, the company is targeting construction to commence in 2025 and operations in 2027, pending final approvals from the board.