BASF is now producing renewable ammonia based on hydrogen derived from renewable energy at its site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The company said that this development makes it the first producer of renewable ammonia in Central Europe.
Renewable ammonia, also known as green ammonia, is produced using renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels. This process involves using electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar, or hydro to split water (electrolysis) and generate hydrogen. This hydrogen is then combined with nitrogen from the air in the Haber-Bosch process, creating ammonia.
BASF explains that while the hydrogen at its site it produced from both renewable energy and fossil sources, a mass balance approach means that hydrogen produced via renewable energy is attributed to the renewable ammonia grades at the German site.
The ammonia has also been certified according to ISCC+ (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) which is a voluntary certification scheme designed to validate sustainability characteristics of alternative feedstocks. The ammonia can be used as a drop-in solution, BASF said.
Dr. Jens Aßmann, Vice President Business Management Ammonia Value Chain and Operations Amino Resins at BASF said: “Our biggest goal is net-zero of our products. With our renewable ammonia we can significantly under cut the product carbon footprint of our other low-carbon dioxide ammonia grades.” BASF has said that it calculates it product carbon foot print (PCF) in line with the Together for Sustainability PCF Guideline.
BASF adds that demand for low-carbon or green ammonia has been rising in recent years, a trend that is expected to continue. “Our customers, as well as BASF’s own downstream businesses, need low-carbon products today to expand their market”, Aßmann added.
It is estimated that global demand for ammonia will rise to more than 600 million metric tonnes by 2050 due to new demands from shipping and power generation markets. Low-carbon ammonia is set to meet around two-thirds of this demand, which could mean an estimated market size for low-carbon ammonia of more than $200 billion by 2050.
Further reading:
• BASF, AM Green explore options for low-carbon chemicals
• Product Carbon Footprint Guideline aims at Scope 3 reporting
• UC Berkeley researchers develop MOFs to green up ammonia production
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