CF Industries, POSCO to evaluate ATR ammonia facility
SUMMARY
South Korean steelmaker would use ammonia, hydrogen in power production, steel-making.
By Dale LunanGlobal ammonia producer CF Industries and South Korean steelmaker POSCO said September 14 they would evaluate a joint venture to construct a low-carbon clean ammonia plant in Louisiana and long-term offtake of that ammonia into South Korea.
As part of the evaluation, the two will launch a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study on autothermal reforming (ATR) of natural gas to produce low-carbon ammonia. When combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS), the ATR process can reduce CO2 emissions from ammonia production by more than 90%, complying with South Korea’s Clean Hydrogen Energy Portfolio standard.
Should the project move forward, POSCO would import low-carbon ammonia to support the decarbonisation of its own and third-party coal-fired power generation facilities. It would also convert the low-carbon ammonia into hydrogen for use in its gas-fired power plants and in the steel-making process.
“POSCO’s concrete plans to use low-carbon ammonia to accelerate decarbonisation in steel manufacturing and power generation in South Korea represent significant new demand for low-carbon ammonia as a clean energy source,” CF Industries CEO Tony Will said. “We look forward to leveraging our two companies’ industry-leading expertise to advance our shared commitment to a more sustainable future.”
The intent is to build the ammonia production facility at CF Industries’ Blue Point Complex in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. The FEED study should be completed in the second half of 2024, with a final investment decision to follow.
