H2Carrier and Anori developing PtX project in Greenland; production of green ammonia on floating platform P2XFloater
06 January 2023
H2Carrier AS and Greenland-based Anori A/S have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the purpose of developing the first commercial wind farm in Greenland with subsequent production and export of green ammonia.
The 1.5GW wind farm will supply power to H2Carrier’s floating production vessel for hydrogen and green ammonia, the P2XFloater. (Earlier post.) Green ammonia will be stored in tanks onboard the vessel, then exported to smaller shipping vessels and carried to the international market for ammonia. This large project will enable Greenland to play a key role within global decarbonization.
H2Carrier has developed a proprietary design for a vessel which will produce, store and export green ammonia, the P2XFloater. This design has been developed in a close co-operation with leading engineering firms in Norway. As far as H2Carrier is aware, the P2XFloater is the first of its kind to be launched on a global basis capable of producing hydrogen and ammonia on an industrial scale.
The P2XFloater is based on well-proven technologies from floating production of oil and gas (FPSO—floating production, storage and offloading) in combination with control systems which optimize renewable power, electrolyzers and the Haber-Bosch-process for production of ammonia. H2Carrier plans to build, own/lease and operate a fleet of P2XFloaters on PtX projects globally.
This is the sort of tech which gets the old cost and works guy in me slavering, never mind breakthrough tech!
My ears prick up when we have re-purposing existing assets, so long as it is not too complex.
Converting existing shipping is both cheaper and faster, so you can have a rapid roll out.
' The P2XFloater™ is based on well proven technologies from floating production of oil and gas (FPSOs- floating production, storage and offloading) in combination with control systems which optimise renewable power, electrolysers and the Haber-Bosch-process for production of ammonia.'
https://www.h2carrier.com/post/h2carrier-as-and-anori-a-s-to-co-operate-in-developing-a-large-ptx-project-in-greenland
More efficient processes to produce ammonia are being worked on, which would eventually further reduce costs and improve efficiency, but for now, we have drop in proven tech, which will do the job just fine.
And the other half of production, using wind, is of course proven tech with rapidly falling cost.
With huge areas of wind swept land, this is cheaper than off shore, where the maritime environment ups costs, makes maintenance tougher and degrades equipment,,
Posted by: Davemart | 06 January 2023 at 01:58 AM
I think that a very good use of green hydrogen is to make ammonia which can be used directly as fertilizer or used to make other chemicals. I might wonder if it will be more cost effective to eventually use more energy efficient high temperature chemical processes for direct hydrogen production with fast nuclear reactors. While on-shore wind is easier to service than off-shore, windswept areas of Greenland are probably not that pleasant in mid-winter.
Davemart, I did not see where the P2XFloater vessels are repurposed floating oil and gas vessels other than using some similar technology. If I understand what I read, these are new special purpose built vessels.
Posted by: sd | 06 January 2023 at 10:47 AM
@sd:
There will be some issues with freezing, so at times in cold places there is actually a net energy draw, not output, as happened before Christmas offshore in the North Sea.
It is still a darn sight easier on land rather than the sea though, and compared to huge field projected for offshore in Labrador, Greenland is almost benign.
Here is the write up on repurposing:
' “The P2XFloater™ concept is based around making a life extension of an existing Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) and expanding upon its design by extending its hull to maximize production capacity. Green hydrogen is produced by pumping onboard seawater from the ocean, purifying it and feeding it to electrolyzers. The green hydrogen is combined with nitrogen extracted from the air and synthesized in an ammonia generator to produce green ammonia. All steps are powered by renewable wind, solar or hydro energy through a high capacity power cable from a renewable power source next to the P2XFloater™.”'
https://www.h2carrier.com/the-p2x-floater
Posted by: Davemart | 06 January 2023 at 11:36 AM
@sd:
I should add that there are a considerable number of windturbines in Lapland, so we are pretty well up to speed on managing them in very cold exposed places.
It is not easy, of course, but it is known, established technology.
There was just nothing to do with the energy before, with only 60 thousand or so total inhabitants in Greenland.
So plenty of room to deploy them.
I should add that it is easier to transport really big turbines by sea, so in that respect it is harder on land, but maintenance etc without fighting waves etc is easier.
Posted by: Davemart | 06 January 2023 at 11:46 AM