Switzerland-based Proman and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. on Oct. 17 announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore building a world-scale ultra low-carbon ammonia facility in Lake Charles, La.
The proposed plant would produce approximately 1.2 million mt/y and be located on Proman’s existing site in Lake Charles, adjacent to the company’s natural gas-to-methanol plant, which is also under development.
“We are delighted to be developing this world-scale ultra low-carbon ammonia facility with Mitsubishi Corp.,” said Proman CEO David Cassidy. “Proman is already a leading fertilizer producer, and we are committed to expanding our global production to drive forward ammonia’s critical role as a fertilizer, fuel, and decarbonized future energy source.”
Once completed, Cassiday said the state-of-the-art plant will feature industry-leading carbon capture technology and will be a “major step towards meeting the growing demand for ammonia as a clean fuel. We are honored to be partnering with Mitsubishi on this.”
Ammonia produced at the facility will be primarily exported to Japan as a clean fuel to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants, in line with Japan’s national strategy to grow domestic ammonia consumption to help achieve its decarbonization goals.
In other news, Proman last month announced the financial close of a $1.5 billion investment in a 2,220 mt/d ammonia plant in Topolobampo, Mexico, with construction now underway. The company has been working its way through Mexico’s regulatory and legal system for several years (GM July 20, 2022; Oct. 18, 2019).
In the past, initial production at the Mexico plant was put at 770,000 mt/y of ammonia and 700,000 mt/y of urea. The company had not responded to inquiries for further confirmation at press time. Proman said the Mexican investment will expand the company’s ammonia production capacity to 2.8 million mt/y.
Proman has assets in the US, Trinidad and Tobago, and Oman, with ongoing expansion into Mexico, Canada, and the UAE. It produces methanol, fertilizer, and other products such as melamine.
Mitsubishi is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses together with its offices and subsidiaries worldwide, as well as with its global network of around 1,700 group companies. It has 10 business groups that operate across multiple industries.