Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, through its Energy Transition Fund, has acquired a majority stake in a blue ammonia project, which will be developed alongside US-based Sustainable Fuels Group.

St. Charles Clean Fuels, a development company jointly owned by the two partners, is exploring the feasibility of building a $4.6bn ammonia production and export facility in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.

The project has entered into an agreement with International-Matex Tank Terminals, a terminaling and logistics company, to provide ammonia storage and handling services. Located along the Gulf Coast, the project has commenced detailed engineering (FEED) and will initially consist of two phases, each with a production capacity of 4,000 tons per day (~3.0 million tons of annual production from both phases) once operational in 2027.

The project will use Topsoe’s SynCOR™ technology to produce blue ammonia with the lowest carbon intensity and is expected to reduce CO2e emissions by 90% (Well-To-Gate) compared to traditional ammonia production.

SCCF hopes to make a final investment decision in early 2024 and begin construction later that year, which would enable operations to begin in 2027.

In March 2024, CIP signed an MoU with LOTTE Chemical Corporation for the supply, purchase, and sale of blue ammonia from the facility.