ADNOC has delivered the world’s first certified bulk shipment of low-carbon ammonia enabled by carbon capture and storage (CCS) to Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) in Japan.

The landmark shipment was produced by Fertiglobe and backed by ADNOC’s $23 billion (AED84 billion) allocation for decarbonization, low-carbon solutions and climate technologies in the hard to abate sectors.

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Fertiglobe was formed as a strategic partnership between OCI and ADNOC in 2019. Fertiglobe is a leading nitrogen fertilizer and ammonia producer and distributer, and the largest producer in the MENA region. With plants located in the UAE, Egypt and Algeria, Fertiglobe’s production capacity comprises of 5.1 million metric tons of urea and 1.5 million metric tons of merchant ammonia annually.

The cargo, sourced from Fertil, Fertiglobe’s facility in Abu Dhabi, will see the carbon dioxide (CO2) captured and permanently stored in the world’s first fully sequestered CO2 injection well in a carbonate saline aquifer.

The certification process, from production to delivery, was conducted by TÜV SÜD, a renowned international certification agency.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Executive Director for Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth emphasized the critical role of hydrogen and its carrier fuels, such as ammonia, in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors, and ADNOC’s goal to capture 5% of the global low-carbon hydrogen market by 2030 in support of the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy.

“The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that hydrogen will account for around 10% of global energy consumption for the world to reach net zero by 2050. ADNOC is an early mover in the production of hydrogen, and it aims to capture 5% of the global low-carbon hydrogen market by 2030 in support of the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy,” said Al Kaabi.

For his part, the Managing Officer of Mitsui stated that, ““Energy solutions remain a strategic focus for Mitsui, thus, we are excited to commence this large-scale clean hydrogen and ammonia value chain with ADNOC in light of global climate action.”

ADNOC is currently designing a facility in Abu Dhabi that will produce up to 360,000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen per year by capturing up to 3 million tons of CO2. This is equivalent to taking over 650,000 internal combustion vehicles off the road.

Additionally, ADNOC, together with its partners TA’ZIZ, Fertiglobe, G.S. Energy Corporation and Mitsui, are developing a 1 million tons per year (mtpa) low-carbon ammonia facility at the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone.