Air Products, an industrial gas supplier, based in Lehigh Valley, has signed an agreement with Mabanaft to build Germany’s first large-scale, green energy import terminal in the Port of Hamburg.
This partnership marks an important step towards developing a green ammonia import and distribution infrastructure in the Port of Hamburg. The planned import terminal — targeted to provide hydrogen to Germany in 2026 — is to be located at Mabanaft’s existing tank terminal in the Port. The location offers strategic access to green ammonia from large-scale green hydrogen production facilities operated by Air Products and its partners worldwide. The goal is to convert the ammonia to green hydrogen via Air Products’ facilities in Hamburg, before distributing it to buyers locally and across northern Germany.
“Together with Mabanaft, we look forward to further progressing our plans of importing needed-renewable energy into Germany through our planned facility,” Air Products’ Chairman, President and CEO Seifi Ghasemi said. “As the world’s largest producer of hydrogen, Air Products is in an excellent position to meet demand, having committed billions of dollars to produce renewable energy at locations around the world. Air Products fully appreciates the support and visionary leadership of the German government, further demonstrated by the presence of Minister Habeck, the Port of Hamburg, and other members of regional and local governments at today’s ceremony.”
Air Products and the Hamburg Port Authority signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2022, committed to accelerating renewable hydrogen production, supply chain, and consumption in the North of Germany and the Free Hanseatic State of Hamburg.
“The Port of Hamburg is committed to protecting the climate. After completing the first important milestone by signing an MoU in February 2022 with Air Products, we are happy that we take now the next important step toward building a hydrogen value chain in co-operation with our competent partners, Air Products and Mabanaft, the central element of which will be the import of green ammonia for conversion to green hydrogen. Hamburg will be one of the first ports worldwide to offer clean hydrogen import infrastructure,” Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority, said.
The plant addresses the urgent need to decarbonize components of the mobility sector and industrial processes while paving a climate-conscious way forward for Mabanaft and Air Products’ respective customers.
“This project underlines Mabanaft’s commitment to conducting our business in an economically, environmentally, and socially responsible way,” Volker Ebeling, senior vice president of new energy, chemicals & gas at Mabanaft, said.