Leading global engineering conglomerate thyssenkrupp said it has secured a contract from Emirati company Helios to perform a technical study for a new green hydrogen and green ammonia project in Abu Dhabi.

A water electrolysis plant as well as a facility for sustainable ammonia production are planned to be constructed at Kizad in Abu Dhabi based on thyssenkrupp technology.

A privately-owned special project vehicle company (SPV), Helios Industry, plans to invest over AED3.67 billion ($1 billion) in the construction of the facility over several years, which it aims to develop with local and international partners in two phases.

It is projected to produce 200,000 tonnes of green ammonia from 40,000 tonnes of green hydrogen.

According to thyssenkrupp, the planned facility will integrate its green hydrogen and green ammonia technologies with the first phase set to incorporate a multi-megawatt electrolyzer plant and an ammonia production facility with a capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum with a next step to increase this to 200,000 tonnes per annum.

It will be the first commercial plant to produce CO2-free green ammonia from renewable resources in the UAE.

Helios Managing Director MK Saiyed said: "This project is another important milestone for in the UAE’s shift to a lower carbon renewable energy future. The new facility will produce green ammonia which is an energy carrier that enables easy transportation of renewable energy e.g. via ship. It can also be used as emission-free transport fuel and in the fertiliser and chemical industries."

Sami Pelkonen, CEO of thyssenkrupp’s Uhde business unit, said: "We are very excited to work together with Helios to support the UAE on its way into a sustainable future."

"In doing so, we are building both on our innovative technology solutions as well as on thyssenkrupp’s regional and local footprint and long heritage as a partner to the region," he added.