Australian company NH3 Clean Energy has launched the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase of its flagship clean ammonia project WAH2, with approval and commercial workstreams underway.
The company has initiated two of the three FEED workstreams, with environmental surveys set to commence environmental surveys in September as the first stage of the project approval process.
NH3 is also progressing discussions for the construction and operation of the project as well as self financing.
NH3’s Chairman, Charles Whitfield , commented: “We are at an extremely busy but exciting stage of the project development. As an indication of how seriously the project is being taken, we are getting an increasing level of engagement with industry players who have skills, capabilities and balance sheets that they can deploy.
“This has opened up some exciting new avenues for taking the project into production that may offer advantages in mitigating the need to separately raise project financing and engaging separate construction and operating teams. These have the potential to allow NH3 to retain all commercial aspects of the business while accelerating timelines and derisking project delivery.”
NH3’s WAH2 project , which is expected to enter operation in 2029, aims to supply low-emission ammonia to the Asia Pacific, including Japan and South Korea, and become a source of decarbonized bunker fuel for powering bulk carriers carrying iron ore from Australia to Asia.
The energy company recently signed a joint development agreement with Oceania Marine Energy and Pilbara Ports Authority to establish low-emissions ammonia bunkering operations at the Port of Dampier.