Polish firm plans green ammonia plant in Mauritania

Polish renewable energy firm Hynfra plans to build a green ammonia production plant at the Port de l’Amitié in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

Green ammonia is produced by combining green hydrogen and nitrogen using renewable electricity.

Hynfra’s planned facility will be located on the Somelec wind farm, with additional solar and wind capacity to be developed to supply electricity input. It will integrate on-site green hydrogen production to produce up to 100,000 mt/year of green ammonia from 2030.

Port de l’Amitié is “first public commercial port south of the Sahara and a crossroads between Europe, Africa and North America” giving it a “privileged geographical position” in international trade, according to the port authority of Nouakchott.

The deepwater port sits on the Atlantic coast of Africa and will provide export access for the project, though the company has not yet confirmed whether the green ammonia will be used for bunkering.

“Mauritania, thanks to the combination of high solar irradiation and strong, stable winds, has some of the best conditions in the world for the development of renewable energy,” said Tomoho Umeda, president of Hynfra.

The company joins a growing group of firms seeking to leverage resource-rich countries as bases for large-scale green ammonia production.

Countries like India, China, Brazil, Egypt among others are being targeted for export-oriented projects, some of which could eventually support marine bunkering demand.

Green ammonia is emerging as a candidate for low- and zero-emission shipping. The IMO is expected to adopt its global net-zero framework in October, giving regulatory momentum to alternative fuels.

There are currently three ammonia-capable vessels in operation worldwide, with another 39 on order for delivery by 2029.

By Konica Bhatt

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