ExxonMobil, together with its partners, is set to explore the potential production and distribution of green hydrogen and ammonia for lower-emission marine fuels at its Slagen terminal in Norway.
The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Grieg Edge, North Ammonia, and GreenH to study the green hydrogen and ammonia hub project.
The feasibility study will assess the potential of the Slagen facility to produce up to 20,000 metric tonnes (MT) of green hydrogen, and distribute up to 100,000MT of green ammonia per annum.
The terminal is located at the opening of the Oslofjord, an inlet in the southeast of Norway, where more than 10,000 ships pass through every year.
ExxonMobil will contribute its global experience and expertise in developing complex projects that support greenhouse gas emissions reductions, for the feasibility study.
Grieg Edge, GreenH and North Ammonia will contribute their expertise in sustainable maritime transport, hydrogen infrastructure, and project development.
Grieg Maritime Group CEO Matt Duke said: “With the complementary expertise amongst the MOU partners, we have now taken an important next step in our efforts to achieve emissions reductions in the maritime sector”
GreenH CEO Morten S Watle said: “There is high value in producing green hydrogen close to where consumption is. At Slagen, bunkering of hydrogen could be offered straight from the production facility.”
North Ammonia CEO Vidar Lundberg said: “This MOU underlines our strategy to make ammonia available where there is market demand. We will also assess the potential distribution of ammonia from production facilities south of Slagen.”
According to the International Energy Agency, hydrogen would address 10% of global energy needs by 2050 and is important to meet societal net-zero global emissions.
The government of Norway has published a road map for hydrogen that includes establishing low-emissions hydrogen hubs along the coast of Norway.
In addition to the current partnership, ExxonMobil is pursuing strategic investments in carbon capture and storage and biofuels to advance the lower-emissions energy technologies.
The company is planning to build North America’s largest low-carbon hydrogen production facilities at its Baytown, Texas petrochemical complex, with plans to build a similar facility at its Southampton Fawley complex in the UK.
ExxonMobil low carbon solutions president Dan Ammann said: “Hydrogen has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in key sectors of the global economy that create valuable products that support modern life.
“This study will explore the potential for ExxonMobil’s Slagen fuel terminal to help reduce emissions from Norway’s maritime sector and help achieve society’s net-zero ambitions.”
