Casale to Supply a 100 t/d Modular Green Ammonia Plant to Neptun, Norway

Casale has signed a contract with Neptun Glomfjord Green Ammonia AS (NGGA) to engineer and supply a 100 tonnes-per-day (t/d) modular green ammonia plant at Glomfjord Industrial Park in Norway.

The facility is being designed specifically for small-scale renewable ammonia production, with a modular configuration intended to reduce on-site construction and installation requirements.

100 t/d Green Ammonia Facility

The planned plant will have a nominal production capacity of 100 tonnes of ammonia per day.

NGGA is developing the project at Glomfjord Industrial Park, an established industrial location with access to Norway’s renewable electricity resources and existing infrastructure. The project is intended to respond to local demand for ammonia while supporting the development of a lower-carbon nitrogen value chain.

The plant will use renewable hydrogen as a feedstock for ammonia synthesis, with Casale supplying the core ammonia-production technology.

Casale to Deploy SMART-N™ Technology

At the centre of the project is Casale's proprietary SMART-N™ technology.

SMART-N™ is designed for small-scale green ammonia facilities using hydrogen produced through water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity. Nitrogen is supplied from an air separation unit before being combined with hydrogen in the ammonia synthesis loop.

The technology is designed to accommodate variable renewable-energy availability, an important feature for green ammonia plants whose electricity supply can fluctuate.

Casale states that SMART-N™ can operate across a 10% to 110% loop turndown range, allowing the synthesis section to respond to changing operating conditions.

Modular Plant Design

The Glomfjord facility will be delivered as a modularized plant, with significant portions of the equipment and systems fabricated away from the final project site.

Casale says the modular concept has been designed to balance fabrication costs at the manufacturing yard against assembly and installation costs in Norway. Greater off-site fabrication is expected to reduce the amount and complexity of work required at the Glomfjord site.

This approach can be particularly relevant for smaller renewable-ammonia projects, where conventional large-scale plant construction methods may not provide the same economies of scale.

Designed for Flexible Renewable Operation

The plant is being designed to operate between 10% and 100% of its nominal capacity.

According to Casale, the synthesis section is expected to operate at approximately 50% load during an initial period following start-up, as hydrogen production is implemented in stages.

Operational flexibility is important for renewable ammonia production because electricity prices and renewable power availability can vary over time.

Rather than requiring continuous operation at full capacity, the plant's design allows production to adjust to changing renewable-energy conditions.

Renewable Hydrogen as the Feedstock

Green ammonia production generally combines renewable hydrogen with nitrogen to produce ammonia without relying on conventional fossil-based hydrogen production.

Casale's SMART-N™ technology has been developed for precisely this type of application. The company says its small-scale ammonia synthesis solution is designed to work with renewable hydrogen and variable power conditions.

The basic production pathway is:

Renewable electricity → Water electrolysis → Green hydrogen

Air → Nitrogen separation

Green hydrogen + Nitrogen → Green ammonia

At Glomfjord, this process will be integrated into a modular ammonia facility designed for flexible operation.

Ammonia to Support a Lower-Carbon Nitrogen Value Chain

The ammonia produced at the facility will not be the final product in the wider value chain.

According to Casale, third parties are expected to process the green ammonia into nitric acid, ammonium nitrate solution (ANS) and fertilizers. This creates potential downstream applications in the fertilizer and nitrogen-chemicals industries.

Using renewable hydrogen as the basis for ammonia production can reduce the dependence on fossil-based hydrogen in the nitrogen industry, although the overall emissions profile will depend on the project's electricity supply, equipment and complete lifecycle.

Glomfjord Industrial Park Provides an Existing Industrial Base

The project is planned for Glomfjord Industrial Park in Norway, giving NGGA access to an established industrial environment.

The location also provides access to Norway's renewable power resources, which are central to the project's green-ammonia production concept.

The combination of renewable electricity, hydrogen production and modular ammonia synthesis is intended to create a smaller-scale production model that can be adapted to local demand.

Casale Expands Its Small-Scale Green Ammonia Portfolio

The Neptun project adds another reference to Casale's portfolio of green ammonia technologies.

The company offers SMART-N™ for smaller green ammonia projects and FlexAMMONIA™ for larger-scale facilities. Casale describes SMART-N™ as a solution specifically developed for small green ammonia synthesis plants, while FlexAMMONIA™ is targeted at larger capacities.

The different technology configurations allow Casale to address green ammonia projects across a wider range of production scales.

Key Project Facts

The contract demonstrates how modular ammonia technology can be applied to smaller renewable-fuel and fertilizer projects where flexibility and controlled construction costs are important considerations.

Moving Small-Scale Green Ammonia Forward

Casale's agreement with Neptun represents another development in the deployment of smaller-scale green ammonia production in Europe.

By combining SMART-N™ technology, renewable hydrogen, flexible operation and modular fabrication, the Glomfjord project is designed around the specific requirements of renewable ammonia production at industrial-park scale.

Once developed, the facility will provide green ammonia that can be converted into nitrogen-based products, linking renewable hydrogen production with the wider fertilizer and chemical value chain in Norway.