Green Ammonia Imported through VOC Port, Tamil Nadu for the first time

Source: The post is based on the article “Green Ammonia Imported through VOC Port, Tamil Nadu for the first time” published in “PIB” on 28th September 2023.

What is the News?

State-run V O Chidambaranar (VOC) Port located in Tamil Nadu has become the first port in India to handle green ammonia with the arrival of 20-inch tank containers loaded with the fuel from the Port of Damietta in Egypt.

What is Green Ammonia?

Ammonia is a pungent gas that is widely used to make agricultural fertilisers.Green ammonia production is where the process of making ammonia is 100% renewable and carbon-free.

Process: One way of making green ammonia is by using hydrogen from water electrolysis and nitrogen separated from the air.These are then fed into the Haber process (also known as Haber-Bosch), all powered by sustainable electricity. 

– In the Haber process, hydrogen and nitrogen are reacted together at high temperatures and pressures to produce ammonia, NH3. 

What are the uses of Green Ammonia?

Energy storage: Ammonia is easily stored in bulk as a liquid at modest pressures (10-15 bar) or refrigerated to -33°C. This makes it an ideal chemical store for renewable energy.

Zero-carbon fuel: Ammonia can be burnt in an engine or used in a fuel cell to produce electricity.When used, ammonia’s only by-products are water and nitrogen.The maritime industry is likely to be an early adopter, replacing the use of fuel oil in marine engines.

Direct usage of Green Ammonia in the fertilizer industry: Green Ammonia can directly replace Grey Ammonia currently used in fertilizer plants without requiring any changes to existing infrastructure.