Yara joins HyPilot project to test use of hydrogen in green ammonia production

Yara Clean Ammonia, a global unit of Norwegian fertilizer company Yara International ASA, has joined the HyPilot project to test the PEM electrolyser technology developed by compatriot manufacturer Hystar for the future production of green ammonia using hydrogen.

Illustration. Coutresy of Hystar

The HyPilot project will see the first in-field test of Hystar’s 1 MW containerized electrolyser which is due for commissioning in the second half of 2023 at the Kårstø Gas Processing Plant in Rogaland, Norway, operated by Gassco.

The test will be conducted to verify Hystar’s patented PEM technology under realistic field conditions, using a containerized PEM electrolyser, in partnership with industry leaders, such as Equinor and Yara.

The electrolyser will be run for a total of 10,000 hours, providing performance data from various operating regimes to verify long-term commercial operation.

Yara’s interest in the HyPilot project is primarily centred around using hydrogen to produce green ammonia. The results from the project will demonstrate how Hystar’s electrolysers can be utilized to reduce the cost of green hydrogen for the production of green ammonia on an industrial scale.

As one of the key players in offshore wind, Equinor will demonstrate dynamic hydrogen production tailored to suit the variable output typically found in wind applications.

HyPilot further aims to drive industry efforts to reduce carbon emissions and realise the potential of hydrogen, with the IEA predicting that the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable electricity could fall 30% by 2030.

Fredrik Mowill, CEO of Hystar, said: “HyPilot marks a significant moment for the hydrogen industry, bringing together leading industry names to showcase Hystar’s patented, ultra-efficient electrolysers. Today’s announcement is a key step towards scaling up and enabling the widespread commercial deployment of large-scale green hydrogen production.

We are pleased that Yara, Enova, Equinor, and Gassco share our vision of commercializing technology for lower-cost green hydrogen. Working together in the years ahead will enable us to drive unseen levels of cost and production efficiencies across hard-to-abate sectors.

Lise Winther, SVP Upstream Projects & Technologies in Yara Clean Ammonia, added: “We look forward to collaborating with Hystar and studying the results of the 1 MW pilot electrolyser project. The knowledge we gain from the HyPilot project will give valuable input to our work in developing green ammonia for fertilizer, deep-sea shipping, and power production.

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