OCI to triple ammonia terminal capacity in Rotterdam to meet rising bunker demand

Dutch fertiliser firm OCI plans to triple ammonia import capacity to 1.2 million mt/year at its terminal in the Port of Rotterdam by next year.

PHOTO: Aerial view of OCI's ammonia import terminal in Rotterdam. OCI

Through this expansion, OCI aims to cater to surging demand from ammonia-powered vessels that are set to join the global shipping fleet by the middle of this decade.

OCI says the terminal's location in Rotterdam makes it well placed as an import hub for ammonia produced at its plants in the Middle East, North Africa and US, and as a bunker facility for ships.

In the first phase of expansion, OCI plans to upgrade existing infrastructure in the terminal. More ammonia storage tanks jetty infrastructure will follow in the later stages.

“We are pleased to announce this milestone, enhancing a key ammonia import and future bunkering hub and aggregation point for low-carbon ammonia at a world-scale port,” OCI’s chief Ahmed El-Hoshy said.

The terminal can be further expanded to import 3 million mt/year of ammonia, claims OCI.

“Ammonia is not only a hydrogen carrier and a feedstock for the chemical industry, its also an important renewable fuel for the shipping sector,” Port of Rotterdam’s chief executive Allard Castelein said.