Consortium to develop Australia-Korea green ammonia supply chain

A cross-industry alliance plans to export 1.8 million mt/year of green ammonia from Australia to South Korea by 2030.

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The Han-Ho H2 Hub project is being spearheaded by Australia-based Ark Energy, the renewable energy arm of Korean Zinc.

“The Consortium’s collective ambition is to build a green energy supply chain exporting up to 1.8 million tonnes of green ammonia [annually] from Australia to Korea by 2030,” Daniel Kim, chief executive at Ark Energy said.

A feasibility study is currently underway to determine whether green hydrogen production can be established in central Queensland for use as a feedstock for ammonia production. The green ammonia facility will be located on the east coast of Australia and will use Thyssenkrupp Uhde's ammonia synthesis technology.

Additionally, Ark Energy will build a wind and solar energy plant in north Queensland. It is expected to generate up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy to power the plants.

Green ammonia will be stored and exported from existing coal export terminals at Port of Abbot Point, said the partners.

The feasibility study received AUD $2.4 million ($1.57 million) from the Australian government and is expected to be completed by 2024.

Ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative

The Han-Ho H2 Hub has not yet announced whether it will offer green ammonia to the shipping sector. However, green ammonia, produced from renewable hydrogen, has near-zero emission potential and is seen as a viable option for decarbonising the shipping sector.

A number of companies have already placed orders for ammonia-fuelled containerships or received class approval for larger vessel blueprints – and the appetite for green ammonia is only likely to increase once the first ammonia-powered engine enters into service next year.

By Konica Bhatt

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