Aramco & SABIC awarded first ever blue hydrogen & ammonia certification
The Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Aramco, and its chemical manufacturing subsidiary SABIC have been awarded the world's first independent accreditation officially recognising its production of "blue" hydrogen and ammonia.
The accreditations were awarded by German testing, inspection and certification TÜV Rheinland to SABIC in Jubail for its production of 37,800 tonnes of "blue" ammonia and to the Aramco refinery, also based in Jubail, for 8,075 tonnes of "blue" hydrogen.
Ammonia and hydrogen are classified as "blue" when a large part of the CO2 produced during the manufacturing process is captured and utilised in downstream applications.
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Olivier Thorel, Vice President of Chemicals at Aramco, said: "These certifications are the first of their kind in the world and signify a major milestone in our efforts to develop clean energy solutions, and advance our hydrogen and ammonia export capabilities.
"This independent recognition reinforces the work of Aramco and SABIC in decarbonising multiple sectors, including energy, aviation, transportation chemicals and fertiliser industries."
Aramco and SABIC worked together on the world’s first shipment of blue ammonia, which is a carrier of hydrogen, from Saudi Arabia to Japan, in 2020. A total of 40 tonnes of blue ammonia was shipped for utilisation in low-carbon power generation.
The certifications represent a milestone for companies which are aiming to become global leaders in the production of ammonia and hydrogen.
Aramco recently declared its aim of producing as much as 11 million tonnes of blue ammonia per year by 2030 and is currently developing its hydrogen and carbon capture capabilities.
Blue hydrogen production will contribute to Aramco’s ambition to achieve net-zero scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly owned operations by 2050.
"We are leveraging our strong existing infrastructure to produce blue ammonia that can help meet the world’s growing needs for sustainable solutions," said SABIC Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management, Fahad Al-Sherehy.
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"To help achieve Saudi Arabia’s target for net-zero by 2060 as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, SABIC recognises that hydrogen will play an essential role in decarbonisation and it is part of SABIC’s overall roadmap toward carbon neutrality by 2050, with a 20% reduction target in carbon emissions by 2030.
"Furthermore, SABIC is exploring opportunities to utilise hydrogen for green chemistry to strengthen its sustainable solution offerings," he added.
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