Plans for ammonia import terminal in Hamburg port gain ground

Hamburg-based energy company Mabanaft has hit a new milestone in the progress of its planned ammonia import terminal in the Port of Hamburg with the scoping meeting held as part of the approval process.

The meeting was completed on January 30 in the run-up to the approval procedure for the construction of the planned ammonia import terminal.

In addition to Mabanaft, authority representatives, directly affected neighbors, environmental associations, and other experts attended the meeting. The purpose was to determine the scope of the environmental impact assessment and the documents to be submitted to the BUKEA.

The company noted it is carrying out the environmental impact assessment on a voluntary basis.

In July 2023, Mabanaft went through a voluntary hearing for the construction of the ammonia import terminal, in which the necessary construction measures were outlined. These include constructing a tank for storing liquid ammonia at its Blumensand Tank Terminal in the Port of Hamburg, which is operated by Mabanaft’s subsidiary Oiltanking Deutschland.

As the next step, Mabanaft is to submit the permit application to BUKEA and initiate the approval procedure in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act.

Philipp Kroepels, Director of New Energy at Mabanaft, said: “Our planned ammonia import terminal on our land in the Port of Hamburg has the potential to bring significant quantities of energy products to Hamburg that can support the energy transition. A voluntary environmental impact assessment along the way is very important to us. We are now getting ready to officially initiate the permit process.”

Mabanaft, together with its project partner Air Products, announced the construction of a large-scale terminal for renewable energy in November 2022.

While Mabanaft plans to build, own, and operate the facilities required for the handling of ammonia, Air Products plans to build, own,and operate the facilities required for the production and handling of hydrogen for which clean ammonia will be the feedstock.