Workshop on ‘Green Ammonia for Fertilizer Manufacturers’
On September 27, 2023 USAID through SAREP convened a workshop titled ‘Green Ammonia for Fertilizer Manufacturers’ at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), focusing on Green Ammonia’s significance in India’s National Hydrogen Mission. Over 40 stakeholders from various sectors attended the event.
Shri Ajay Yadav, Joint Secretary, MNRE, emphasized the government’s role in promoting green hydrogen production and utilization through central and state incentives in his keynote address. He also mentioned the need for cross-sectoral collaborations to meet climate and economic sustainability goals.
Mr Manish Goswami, Chief Technical Officer, FAI presented on the transition from grey to green ammonia within India’s fertilizer industry to mitigate carbon emissions. Grey ammonia, primarily used in urea production, contributes to 1.3% of global GHG emissions, with India’s ammonia plants reducing emissions significantly over the years. The shift to green ammonia, produced using renewable energy, is a part of India’s decarbonization initiative. However, the transition is complex due to existing infrastructure and cost challenges
Sh. D. M. R. Panda from NTPC shared insights from pilot projects experimenting with green hydrogen, highlighting a successful green hydrogen blending project and two green mobility projects using hydrogen buses. The cost factors affecting green ammonia production, such as electrolyzer type and renewable power availability, were discussed.
Technical hurdles, like storage challenges, were discussed with a suggestion to integrate flexible ammonia generation concepts, despite the costs of scaling operations. Discussions also touched on cost recovery strategies, including possibly reducing existing Urea subsidies to channel funds into green projects.
More than 40 participants attending the event also discussed renewable energy, power generation, and storage options, besides mentioning the potential for international collaboration for fertilizer projects. Overall, the dialogue was centered around exploring avenues to reduce costs, secure financing, and address technical challenges to advance green fertilizer projects in India, aligning with the broader objectives of the National Hydrogen Mission. Through such initiatives, stakeholders aim to pave a structured path towards enhancing green ammonia production, catering to both domestic demand and export opportunities, thus promoting economic sustainability and achieving climate goals.
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