KBR, an engineering company based in the United States, has signed a contract to provide its green ammonia technology, K-GreeN, for the Holmaneset green energy project in Norway. The project is being developed by Fortescue, a green energy, technology, and metals company from Australia. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will offer licensing of its proprietary engineering design and front-end engineering design (FEED) support services for the 675 metric tonnes per day grassroots green ammonia plant in Norway.
Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions expressed excitement about working with Fortescue on this project and providing their zero-carbon green ammonia technology. This aligns with Fortescua’s ESG objectives as they aim to play a significant role in developing the green energy value chain and decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries. The Holmaneset plant will use electrolyzers powered by renewable hydropower to produce hydrogen for hydrogen production and ammonia for distribution to domestic and European markets to aid in decarbonization efforts.
Fortescua plans to begin construction on the project in 2025 with operations commencing in 2027 pending final approvals from the board. In early 2024, Tecnimont was awarded FEED work for the plant which includes designing electrolyzer integration, nitrogen production air separation unit, ammonia production plant, storage facilities and ship loading systems. They are also expected to submit an engineering procurement construction (EPC) proposal as part of their agreement.
In 2023, the Holmaneset project achieved significant milestones such as securing €203.7 million grant from European Union (EU) for green ammonia plant and obtaining renewable power through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Statkraft a renewable energy supplier. This progress reflects Fortescua’s commitment towards sustainable and environmentally friendly energy solutions in the region.