General – Ammonia Terminal
Recently RWE signed a Memorandum of Understanding to quickly build the first German LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel near Hamburg.
RWE is relying on green ammonia as the most competitive hydrogen derivative with the highest level of technological maturity.
The project is intended to help facilitate the subsequent conversion of the entire site ready to import green molecules. This underlines RWE’s aspiration, as a shareholder in the LNG terminal, to pay particular attention to its green conversion. Brunsbüttel can thus become a role model for the decarbonisation of industrial society.
The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and climate Action Robert Habeck welcomes the project: “Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine has made it abundantly clear that we must become independent of fuel imports from Russia. The LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel is an important element in this, as it will increase the capabilities to import gas to Germany. Green ammonia as a liquefied hydrogen derivative can make an important contribution to supplying Germany with green hydrogen. At the same time, we can gain important experience with this project for the conversion from LNG to green hydrogen or hydrogen derivatives.”
Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE AG, explains: “It is now more important than ever to think of climate protection and security of supply as one. That’s what we are doing. On the one hand, we are involved in the forthcoming construction of the first LNG terminal in Germany. On the other hand, we are going to build an ammonia terminal at the site to forge ahead with the import of green molecules for the decarbonisation of industry. This flagship project will cover the entire value chain – from import, to conversion, transport and use by industrial customers. The entire site will benefit from this.”
From as early as 2026, around 300,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year are due to arrive in Germany via the terminal and be distributed to customers. The next step is to build a cracker on a large industrial scale at the terminal to produce green hydrogen on site as well. This will then be transported to industrial customers via a dedicated hydrogen pipeline.
Brunsbüttel Ports GmbH is supporting the project with space and as a logistics partner with port infrastructure to unload tankers.
Ammonia is one of the most common basic materials in the chemical industry. More than 125 million tonnes are produced worldwide every year and processed into fertiliser in agriculture or used in chemical processes, among other things. It is already shipped globally today. In order to make ammonia ‘green’, fossil fuels such as natural gas must be replaced by electricity from renewable energy sources during its production. Ammonia has distinct advantages over the use of hydrogen throughout the molecular chain: It is lighter, more efficient and cheaper to store and transport.