Uniper and Vesta to explore Vlissingen ammonia storage

The duo intends to refurbish and expand an existing storage facility in Netherlands’ Vlissingen to handle 960,000 mt of green ammonia by 2026.

PHOTO: Uniper's LNG vessel Schneeweisschen. Uniper

German energy firm Uniper and Dutch terminal operator Vesta Terminals have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate whether they can convert a storage facility in Vlissingen to hold ammonia. They say this could help boost green ammonia and hydrogen supply in northwest European markets.

Uniper says the project would complement its Wilhelmshaven import terminal project in Germany, where its is building an LNG and green ammonia import terminal. The terminal will be equipped with an “ammonia cracker” to convert ammonia to hydrogen.

Vesta's terminal in Vlissingen currently has a refrigerated storage capacity of 60,000 cbm for ammonia. It says this can be increased to 1.96 million cbm/year as the terminal is set to be connected to a Dutch hydrogen pipeline in the future.

Ammonia stored at the terminal could be later supplied by small barges and rail tank cars.

The nearby port of Rotterdam recently announced a hydrogen import target of 4.6 million mt/year by 2030, and that ammonia producer OCI will expand its ammonia import terminal to triple throughput capacity by 2023 and create a hub for ammonia bunkering.