Aramco, SABIC Agri-Nutrients send world’s first commercial shipment of clean ammonia to South Korea

The arrival of clean ammonia shipment to South Korea 

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) and SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co. announced today, Dec. 14, that Lotte Fine Chemicals (LFC) received the world’s first commercial shipment of 25,000 metric tons (MT) of independently certified clean (blue) ammonia.

In a statement received by Argaam, the two companies said that the shipment, dispatched from Jubail’s King Fahad Industrial Port in November 2022, arrived today in Ulsan, South Korea. The first-ever shipment of its kind represents a new milestone in the development of carbon neutrality solutions, with clean (blue) ammonia viewed as a low-carbon alternative to conventional grey ammonia.

Earlier, Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said through collaborations, like those with SABIC and Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia is working towards becoming the world’s largest exporter of clean (blue) hydrogen by 2030.

The Kingdom maintains large natural gas reserves and ample renewable energy, which enable a capacity to produce clean (blue) hydrogen at a competitive cost – this can then be converted into ammonia, he added.

In August, Saudi Aramco and SABIC Agri-Nutrients obtained the world’s first independent certifications recognizing blue hydrogen and ammonia production, Argaam earlier reported.