Hynfra, a Polish hydrogen company, has recently formed a new venture in Jordan with the aim of establishing a green ammonia plant powered by a 530 MW solar PV system. The project is expected to be operational within five years.
This joint venture, named Jordan Green Ammonia LLC, was created in partnership with Fidelity Group, an industrial investment manager based in Jordan. The primary objective of this collaboration is to build a green ammonia plant in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ), a designated area aimed at promoting industry, tourism, and trade through reduced duties. The strategic location of ASEZ offers favourable climatic conditions and proximity to the port of Aqaba, facilitating efficient logistics for product transportation.
The scope of the project includes not only the installation of a 530 MW solar PV system but also the establishment of an energy storage facility, an electrolyzer, and a seawater desalination plant. With these components in place, the plant aims to produce an annual output of 100,000-200,000 tonnes of ammonia. In addition to producing ammonia, the project will generate green energy, green heat, hydrogen, oxygen, and industrial steam, forming a multigeneration system that is expected to enhance the project’s return on investment.
While specific details regarding the supply and technology of the PV system were not disclosed, the project holds significant potential in decarbonizing the global ammonia market, as stated by Wael Suleiman, founder of Fidelity Group and CEO of Jordan Green Ammonia. Suleiman also emphasized the gradual replacement of conventional ammonia with renewable ammonia in the coming decades. Considering the projected fourfold increase in ammonia demand by 2050, this project aims to be a part of the revolutionary transition towards sustainable ammonia production.
“We are optimistic about the potential of green ammonia production in Jordan. Thanks to the close distance to the port of Aqaba, the transport of our products will be easy and efficient. This will allow us to reach both local markets and export to other regions, including Europe. Jordan has excellent solar conditions and strongly focuses on the development of renewable energy sources. The country is now finalizing its hydrogen strategy, which perfectly dovetails with our project,” says Tomoho Umeda, CEO of Hynfa.
Jordan is pushing for green hydrogen now after the country has already made progress on other renewable fronts. The solar and wind energy projects accounted for a 2.6 GW production capacity for the country, which is approximately 27 per cent of the energy mix, by the end of 2022. The Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is currently working to develop a green hydrogen strategy in Jordan.
The Middle East region is actively pushing for renewables as present and future investments with some of the biggest renewable energy projects already in operation in the region. As per IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook (WETO), the region could obtain almost 26 per cent of its total primary energy supply from renewables by 2050, and its total renewable share could reach up to 53 per cent in the power sector.
