PHOTO
UAE-headquartered fertiliser producer Fertiglobe expects its 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) ‘Project Harvest’ lower carbon ammonia project in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi to start operations in 2027, the company said in its fourth-quarter 2025 results filing.
The project, located in the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone in Ruwais Industrial City, is being developed by a consortium led by Fertiglobe. Partners include TA’ZIZ (a joint venture between ADNOC and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ), Japan’s Mitsui & Co., and South Korea’s GS Energy Corporation.
The project reached Final Investment Decision (FID) in July 2024, with construction commencing in the fourth quarter of that year.
Italy’s Tecnimont is the project’s Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor while US-based KBR is the technology provider.
Fertiglobe said the total project capex is competitive at less than $500 million. In comparison, Exxon's Baytown project with 1 bcf/day hydrogen capacity and more than 1 mtpa ammonia capacity, currently on hold, was estimated to cost more than $2 billion.
The company said its investments are focused on building a back-end ammonia plant while leveraging existing infrastructure and over-the-fence hydrogen and nitrogen feed stocks within Ruwais.
During an earnings call for the fourth quarter results, CEO Ahmed El-Hoshy confirmed that the ammonia facility is over 70 percent complete.
A preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study estimates that the plant will aim to produce ammonia with up to 50 percent lower carbon intensity compared to conventional ammonia. Further reduction in carbon intensity will be achieved via capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide emissions in the next phase, according to previous statements.
Fertiglobe said synergies with ADNOC, which owns an 86.2 percent stake in the company, are to be realised by using logistically optimised routes with the TA'ZIZ terminals.
The company said it retains the optionality to increase its ownership of Project Harvest to 54 percent (from 30 percent) post-completion. This preserves full flexibility on capital deployment, reflecting ADNOC’s support to Fertiglobe in warehousing development projects.
In October 2024, ADNOC had said that it will transfer its stakes in existing and future low-carbon ammonia projects to Fertiglobe at cost and when ready for startup, reinforcing the latter’s role as its downstream nitrogen and low-carbon ammonia platform.
Fertiglobe had also stated in its fourth-quarter 2025 filing that it expects FID on Egypt Green Hydrogen project in 'coming months.'
(Writing by Anoop Menon; Editing by SA Kader)
Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
