Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Ma’aden) is working on plans to produce blue ammonia, CEO Robert Wilt said in an interview with Bloomberg. Ma’aden already produces ammonia from natural gas, and is planning to trap the carbon dioxide emitted in the process so the product can be labeled blue.
“Right now there’s no premium for blue ammonia, but as we continue to help the energy transition globally it’s something we’re going to focus on,” said Wilt.
State oil giant Saudi Aramco is also looking to invest in carbon capture and storage with the aim of producing blue ammonia. Saudi Arabia has so far only produced blue ammonia by capturing and using the CO2, rather than storing it permanently.
Aside from blue ammonia, Ma’aden is also looking to use solar energy to power its aluminum smelter, so it can market the product as green, Wilt said.
In other news, Ma’aden was one of the largest purchasers of carbon credits from the first MENA Voluntary Carbon Market auction and the largest in the world, held on Oct. 26, 2022, at the 6th edition of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.
The auction offered CORSIA-compliant and Verra-registered carbon credits, with 15 Saudi and regional entities participating in the sale.
“As the world moves towards net zero, we need to do our part to ensure meaningful emission reductions in value chains,” said Wilt. “We are proud to support this world-leading initiative by Saudi Arabia, which reiterates the nation’s commitment to net zero ambitions.”
“Ma’aden is committed to being an ESG leader in the Kingdom as the mining industry grows in prominence and becomes a key player in powering the energy transition,” he added. “We will continue to decarbonize our operations as we seek to build the mining industry into the third pillar of Saudi economy, in line with Vision 2030.”
Other Ma’aden initiatives include a commitment to build the world’s largest solar process steam plant in Ras Al Khair, which will reduce Ma’aden’s emissions by 600,000 mt/y, and a commitment to plant 20 million trees by 2040 to contribute to the Saudi Green Initiative. Ma’aden has planted over 3 million trees since 2013.