World's first certified blue ammonia cargo sent by Saudi Arabia to S. Korea

The world's first commercial shipment of blue ammonia, which are independently certified, have been sent by SABIC AGRI-Nutrients and Saudi Aramco, and received by LOTTE Fine Chemical. The blue ammonia cargo was transported from King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail to Ulsan port in in the city of Ulsan, South Korea.

The ship loaded with the cargo, which has a size of 25,000 metric tons, sailed from Saudi Arabia in November 2022, and docked Wednesday in South Korea. The first of its kind shipment marks a new milestone in the development of carbon neutral solutions, as blue ammonia is considered a low-carbon alternative to traditional gray ammonia.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman had stated earlier that the Kingdom aims through a cooperation between SABIC and Saudi Aramco in this field to become the biggest exporter in the world for the clean hydrogen products by 2030.

Saudi Arabia has huge reserves of natural gas, and abundant renewable energy sources, through which it will enhance its ability in producing clean hydrogen at a competitive cost that would facilitate transferring it into ammonia.

SABIC AGRI-Nutrients' CEO Eng. Abdulrahman Shamsalddin confirmed the company's keen on continuing looking for different ways to offer value for customers, by providing low-carbon solutions that keeps pace with the recent challenges in the global industry.

These challenges are related with the climate changes and greenhouse gas emissions and require accelerating the pace of innovation to enhance commitment to sustainability.

He also said that this historical achievement, represented by delivering blue ammonia to LOTTE Fine Chemical Company, reflects the company's commitment in making innovation and sustainability as central to its operations.

From his side, the CEO of LOTTE Fine Chemical company Jung Kyung-moon, said that the shipment will help in laying the foundations for a new journey in producing ammonia, conforming that his company will continue its efforts to make South Korea a clean energy center in Asia.

The SABIC AGRI-Nutrients and Saudi Aramco had received earlier in 2022 the first independent certificate in the world that identify in producing clean ammonia and hydrogen. This represents a significant achievement in regard of efforts to develop clean energy solutions and enhance the Saudi Arabia's capabilities in exporting hydrogen and ammonia.