ABS greenlights ammonia production platform concept

Classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has approved a Japanese design of an offshore platform that can produce ammonia.

PHOTO: Getty Images

The floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit has been designed by offshore platform operator Modec, and it can capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from blue ammonia production.

Blue ammonia is typically blue hydrogen combined with nitrogen captured from the air and put through the Haber-Bosch process. Hydrogen is fossil-derived, as it is produced from the steam methane reforming of natural gas. But the CO2 emitted during this production process is captured. This can render the blue ammonia low- or zero-carbon.

The approval has “made us aware of the significant challenges that need to be tackled to commercialize the concept,” said Koichi Matsumiya, chief technical officer at Modec.

By Konica Bhatt

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online