First Ammonia plans to build an electric ammonia facility in Victoria, Texas, the US. The plant will be the first commercial-scale ammonia production facility to use solid oxide electrolysers (SOECs).
In September 2024, First Ammonia announced a Series B funding round that will help in building the ammonia plant. The investors included Tokyo-based investment company Manies Group and the Development Bank of Japan affiliated company Mercuria Holdings.
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Construction works are expected to commence in 2025, after the final investment decision (FID) is taken.
The green ammonia production facility may commence production in 2027.
Once operational, the Texan Plant will use renewable energy to produce green ammonia that can help in decarbonising different sectors including power and transportation.
First Ammonia’s Texas Plant Location
The First Ammonia Texas Plant will be developed on an 115-acre area in the Port of Victoria, Texas.
It is expected to be located at the Texas Logistics Center. The site can be accessed via Dupont Road running adjacent to the Northwestern edge of the location.
The Port of Victoria serves as a key access point to both domestic and international markets. The shallow-draft commercial port is located in the mid-coast of Texas within a two-hour drive from Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi.
First Ammonia Texas Plant Technology
The First Ammonia Texas Plant will have an initial anticipated production capacity of 300 Metric Tonnes per Day (Mt/d) of electric ammonia equivalent to 5 million metric tonnes (MMT/y) by 2035.
The facility will utilise Topsoe’s solid oxide electrolyser technology (SOEC) to produce hydrogen. It is said to be 30% more energy efficient compared to conventional electrolysers.
The SOEC technology features a modular design and utilises high-temperature electrolysis to enable large-scale green hydrogen production from renewable sources.
The project will produce green ammonia via the integration of the high temperature SOEC with the exothermic ammonia synthesis process.
SOEC technology uses water in the form of steam, which is broken down in the SOEC cell to green hydrogen and oxide ions (O2-). The ions are transported through the electrolyte to anode and oxidised into oxygen molecules.
The technology is expected to be used with Topsoe’s dynamic ammonia loop technology. It uses S-300 Converter, equipped with three catalyst beds with radial flow for higher conversion rate, and the K1M ammonia synthesis catalyst.
According to Topsoe, the K1M ammonia synthesis catalyst was chosen for its ability to ensure high and stable activity.
The plant will be able to operate under fluctuating renewable energy supplies supporting a scalable ammonia production.
Contractors Involved
In September 2022, First Ammonia and Topsoe, which provides technology and solutions for the energy transition, signed a capacity reservation agreement to produce green ammonia.
Under the agreement, First Ammonia’s green ammonia plants will utilise Topsoe’s advanced, energy-efficient SOECs. The agreement initially covers the purchase of 500MW of SOEC units, with the option to scale up to 5GW over the lifetime of the agreement.
The SOECs will be manufactured at the Topsoe factory in Herning, Denmark.
The two companies finalised and signed the sales and service agreements for the fabrication of the first 100MW of solid oxide electrolysers in October 2024. These SOECs will be delivered in the first quarter of 2025.
In January 2025, the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract for First Ammonia’s Texas Plant was awarded to Worley, an Australian engineering and professional services firm.
The FEED is targeted for completion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.
Purchase Agreement
German multinational energy company Uniper will purchase green ammonia from the Texas plant to fuel energy transition for its customers.
In October 2023, First Ammonia and Uniper announced cooperation on the green ammonia project.
Each 100MW SOEC module will produce up to 100,000 Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) of green ammonia, which is equivalent to a reduction of 180,000-240,000MT of carbon dioxide per annum.
