Letter from Qatar | Progress for Blue Ammonia

It is hot here in Doha, with the day’s heat hitting one from all angles including from below.

I'm engaging stakeholders once more before delivering in-house training in-house for a finance house.? A chance to reflect on just how quickly the energy transition is taking hold; Who would have thought that the Emirates, the home of oil and gas would be at the forefront?

Qatar is finding her place in the net zero economy. In a couple of weeks, the UN’s Community of Parties will re-convene in the form of CoP with a few hours’ drive around the bay. The Glasgow event of a mere two years ago and from which I was able to broadcast is beginning to feel like ancient history as wars - and energy security concerns - prevail.

Despite this progress continues. We heard in Rotterdam recently that two thirds of the world are covered by some form of hydrogen road map or national hydrogen strategy. It’s big difference to where we were when I began sharing thoughts in ?articles and associated and curated materials five years ago. After an initial flurry of green- related initiatives is how countries have started to align national strategies with their wider requirements.

Reading through the nearby Omani version for example I am struck by how her aspiration in addressing unemployment, cooking water and even dietary requirements are being addressed and built into the associated Hydrom strategy.

Here in Qatar, tectonics seems to be revolving around ammonia, and not necessarily green ammonia made from renewable sources, but blue ammonia using the abundant materials with which people are already familiar.

Lifestyles depend upon which the skill sets hold you exist for. In that form of a steam methane reforming involving high temperature carbon capture, storage, sequestration, perhaps re- utilising depleted oil reservoirs.

Qatar is aiming to construct a $1 billion facility.

As ammonia can be transported and transformed into hydrogen, which is regarded as a clean fuel because it doesn’t create carbon dioxide, the global market for ammonia is anticipated to expand despite being in its infancy. Ammonia may be used as fertilizer or burnt to create power.

QatarEnergy said that the company has inked agreements with Industries Qatar QSC and its subsidiary, Qatar Fertilizer Co., to build a facility that would be able to manufacture up to 1.2 million tonnes of blue ammonia annually.

Nitrogen and hydrogen are combined to create ammonia. The resultant ammonia is referred to as “blue” when hydrogen is extracted from natural gas and the carbon dioxide byproduct is collected.

When the plant begins operations in the first quarter of 2026, almost 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be absorbed and sequestered annually from the ammonia-making process, according to the statement. By 2035, Qatar hopes to have improved its carbon capture and storage systems to the point where it can store up to 11 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

So, it’s a global transition with early adopters moving fast. This, by the way, is article number 401, phew.? Judging from the feedback the energy community is finding them insightful.? We are preparing a programme for 2024 for specialist to deep dive into selected areas such as energy storage and realities of projects rather than endless white papers and reports. Further details will be shared in the coming weeks, but if interested, please don't hesitate to get in touch: [email protected]

So, in summation it’s a blue ammonia underway here in Qatar.

Movement as we mobilise essential elements for the Energy Transition in the Far East. Early in the new year it’s onwards to Rio and to Brazil, another form another very dynamic player in the emerging hydrogen economy and one again which have already shared insights with the community regarding that country’s massive potential. Looking forwards to keeping you informed.

Feel free to join me at the experts’ forum; https://bit.ly/49aQi5Iqtr

Hydrogen Qatar

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