LOTTE Fine Chemical Co. received yesterday the world's first certified blue ammonia cargo, which is independently certified, sent by SABIC AGRI-Nutrients (SABIC AN) and Saudi Aramco, amounting to 25,000 metric tons. The ship, loaded with cargo, sailed from King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, in November 2022, and docked Wednesday in Ulsan port, South Korea. This shipment, the first of its kind, marks a new milestone in the development of carbon-neutral solutions, as blue ammonia is considered a low-carbon alternative to traditional gray ammonia. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz had stated earlier that the Kingdom aims through cooperation between SABIC and Saudi Aramco in this field to become the biggest exporter in the world for clean hydrogen products by 2030, given that the Kingdom has huge reserves of natural gas and abundant renewable energy sources that enhance its ability to produce clean hydrogen at a competitive cost, which then facilitates its conversion into ammonia. SABIC AGRI-Nutrients' CEO Eng. Abdulrahman Shamsalddin reiterated the company's keenness on continuing search for different ways to offer value for customers, by providing low-carbon solutions that keep pace with the recent challenges in the global industry, that are related to challenges of climate changes and greenhouse gas emissions, adding that this historic achievement of delivering a clean (blue) ammonia shipment to LOTTE Fine Chemical Co reflects the company's commitment to making sustainability and innovation central to its operations. Earlier this year, SABIC AN and Aramco received the world's first independent certifications recognizing blue ammonia and blue hydrogen production from TUV Rheinland, a leading independent testing, inspection and certification agency, based in Germany. The shipment of blue ammonia to South Korea will be the first to capitalize on this major certification achievement. These developments are aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, which lays emphasis on low-carbon fuels, products, solutions and clean energy. SABIC AN and Aramco are collaborating in the low-carbon hydrogen space and ammonia to develop solutions to serve various applications in the energy, fertilizer, and chemicals sectors.
