The New Energy Gate Hamburg (NEGH) Project
A Boost for the Hydrogen Economy:
Germany’s First Terminal for Green Ammonia
Liquefied ammonia will play a major role in the hydrogen economy because it is the ideal medium for transporting hydrogen by sea to places such as Europe. However, before the imported ammonia is distributed further or broken down into its constituent elements, namely nitrogen and hydrogen, it has to be loaded and temporarily stored. This task will be performed by the New Energy Gate Hamburg (NEGH) – Germany’s first terminal for green ammonia. It is set to go into operation in 2027. With its interdisciplinary expertise, Fichtner is supporting this important project for the sustainable transformation of industry and transportation.
The New Energy Gate Hamburg (NEGH) project is something special – and not just for us at Fichtner. It will be Germany’s first terminal for liquefied green ammonia and will have impressive dimensions. The cryogenic tank will be able to store around 80,000 m³ of liquid ammonia. This equates to an energy content of around 325,000 MWh, which is roughly the amount of energy that four million electric cars could store. The green ammonia can be used as fuel, split into nitrogen and hydrogen in a cracker, or transported onwards from the port of Hamburg. Either way, it will make a significant contribution to making industry and transportation more climate-friendly.
Some of the green ammonia that arrives at the NEGH will be broken down directly on site to supply hydrogen to the industrial and transportation sectors.
(Picture source: Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG)
Large Dimensions, Huge Safety Requirements
The ammonia tank at the NEGH will be one of the largest of its kind, and the entire system, from the jetty to the tank, will meet the highest safety requirements to make sure that no harm comes to people or the environment. The tank walls are designed to withstand external mechanical impacts, while double-walled reinforced concrete provides protection in the event of leaks. If the inner shell leaks, the outer shell can completely absorb the escaping ammonia.
An emergency flare with a generous capacity reserve is provided for the unlikely event that malfunctions or damage could result in excessive exposure to ammonia gas. The flare would only be ignited when required, so it would be off during normal operation and therefore does not cause any emissions.
The tank at the New Energy Gate Hamburg will offer a gigantic storage capacity: Despite its double-walled design, the tank can hold around 80,000 m³ of liquefied ammonia.
(Picture source: Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG)
One priority for the engineers at Fichtner was to apply the highest standards when designing the safety systems. A consensus in this respect was reached early on in the project, as the investor had also set high safety requirements, stating that protecting people and the environment would be the top priority.
In addition to knowledge of ammonia plants, the project also required oil & gas expertise. This demonstrates the value of Fichtner’s wealth of experience. The plant engineering team in our Future Fuel & Gas department, which evolved from the traditional oil & gas business, possesses the relevant knowledge from decades of experience in engineering plants in the oil & gas sector and was thus able to plan all safety measures under one roof.
Fichtner „Future Fuel & Gas“
In addition to planning gas infrastructure, the Future Fuel & Gas department handles modern, climate-friendly alternatives to crude oil and natural gas as well as related fields that are driving the transformation of the oil & gas sector. These include:
- concept development and technology assessment for processes for producing renewable fuels (e.g. methanol synthesis, methanol-to-gasoline process, ammonia cracker, etc.)
- engineering and planning of
- plants for producing green ammonia or methanol (“e-fuels”)
- systems for the sustainable production of kerosene (SAF – Sustainable Aviation Fuel)
- CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage): capture of CO2 for applications such as the cement industry or flue gas treatment at power plants, processing of CO2 into usable green carbon sources for the production of renewable fuels, or permanent storage of CO2 in safe reservoirs
Our experts combine innovative approaches with experience from oil & gas projects, proving themselves to be pioneers in decarbonization. This benefits both energy producers and industrial companies that want to make their processes CO2-free.
Fichtner’s Planning Brings Together Interdisciplinary Knowledge
In this project, as with many of the projects we support, our knowledge in a wide range of fields provides added value for the client. For example, we know from ammonia and LNG terminal projects how cryogenic tanks are designed, built and integrated into the overall plant. Our colleagues from the Civil Engineering department contributed their expertise during structural analysis of the tank and made suggestions for the design, while our colleagues from Fichtner Water & Transportation (FWT) are experts in the design of quays and jetties for loading petrochemical products (see image from 3D planning at the top). In addition, the team is supported by in-house experts who are familiar with German laws and regulations and can draw on sound experience in the design and execution of similarly complex infrastructure projects in the oil & gas sector, which is necessary both for drafting designs and for preparing permit and building applications.
Fichtner’s Services
in the NEGH Project
In the NEGH project, Fichtner was responsible for technical planning, permit engineering and preparation of the permit application including the building application. Among other things, this included:
Ceremonial milestone of the project:
joint signing of the application documents
In Search of Better, New Solutions
There is always something new to consider and boundaries to explore. In the case of the NEGH, for example, the dimensions of the tank alone pose interesting questions: How is the optimum ratio of tank height to tank diameter to be selected for the location, and which construction methods and materials are suitable for ensuring that not only the required structural stability is achieved, but also that the ammonia can be stored with the lowest possible evaporation losses? The FWT team showed its creativity in developing a solution for the water-side installations on the existing jetty. In close consultation with the client, the FWT team developed an intelligent solution and erected a structure above the existing jetty. As a result, the old oil & gas handling facilities were completely separated from the new ammonia handling facilities, both structurally and functionally.
The entirety of the planned ammonia terminal is not a “greenfield” project, so everything has to be fitted onto an existing site between existing equipment. Such challenges are an incentive for our Fichtner colleagues in the various disciplines. After all, by tirelessly seeking and finding innovative solutions, we are helping to accelerate the energy transition. The NEGH project is one such solution: With a throughput of up to 600,000 tons of ammonia per year, the terminal will be an important building block for the decarbonization of industry and transportation – not only in Germany, but throughout Central Europe.
Ammonia as a Carrier for Green Hydrogen
Ammonia (NH3) is a pungent-smelling gas that occurs in small quantities in nature, for example when excrement or plants decompose. Industrially produced ammonia is an important commodity chemical, especially for fertilizer production. It can, however, also be used as a maritime fuel in the future.
And yet ammonia is capable of even more: It can act as a means of transporting climate-friendly produced hydrogen to enable the green energy to be transported economically over long distances. To do this, nitrogen from an air separation plant powered by green energy reacts with hydrogen from a renewable energy-powered electrolysis plant to produce green ammonia.
Since ammonia is gaseous at natural atmospheric pressure and at temperatures above -33 °C, it needs to be liquefied to achieve a compact transport volume. In this way, 1,000 liters of gas (in an expanded state at 0 °C and 1.013 bar) are reduced to 1.13 liters. Although ammonia production and liquefaction cost energy, they make hydrogen transport considerably easier because:
- the gaseous ammonia can be liquefied to reduce its volume more easily and with significantly less energy input than pure hydrogen
- cryogenic tank systems for liquid ammonia are easier to manufacture because the temperature for storage at low pressure only needs to be kept below -33 °C (for liquid hydrogen it is -253 °C)
- ammonia is less flammable than hydrogen, so the risk of explosion is significantly lower
- marine engines could use ammonia instead of bunker oil as fuel
- green ammonia can, among other things, be used directly as a fuel or it can be split in crackers to make the hydrogen available again
July 2024
Dr. Joachim von Schnitzler
Projects Director Future Fuel & Gas
Oliver Lex
Project Manager in the Future Fuel & Gas Department
Thorsten Möller
Senior Project Manager in the Future Fuel & Gas Department
