SET Select Energy books first capacity for Hamburg ammonia import terminal

Energy and commodity trader SET Select Energy has booked capacity for a planned 600,000 tonne-per-year ammonia import terminal in Hamburg.

The company becomes the first to sign terms for the MB Energy facility and could bring in an unspecified amount of the molecule, produced in India by Juno Joule.

MB plans to construct an ammonia storage tank and upgrade an existing vessel and barge berth for ammonia handling, with aims to bring the terminal online by 2029.

While still subject to a final investment decision (FID), it would form part of a wider clean fuel terminal project, which could also feature an ammonia cracker to feed into Germany’s core hydrogen network, and rail loading facilities for carrying ammonia off-site.

MB, which the terminal’s approval by Hamburg authorities, called the agreement an important step towards creating international supply chains and establishing it as an import hub.

Juno Joule and Select are currently looking to develop a one-million-tonne-per-year green ammonia project near Mulapeta Port on India’s east coast. Planning for FID by April 2027, they commissioned Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Nucera for front-end engineering design for a 260MW electrolyser .

It comes as Germany and India’s green molecule trading relationship solidifies, and Germany pursues ambitions to import  of its 2030 green hydrogen demand.

The country currently leads the offtake of India’s output with Uniper and RWE already lined up for the majority of offtake from AM Green’s 1.5 million tonne in Kakinada.

V.O. Chidambaranar Port in southern India also a green hydrogen and derivative partnership with German-state funded trade facilitating scheme, H2Global foundation.

Ammonia is increasingly viewed as a viable carrier for long-distance hydrogen trade due to its high energy density. However, critics warn that efficiency losses from conversion undermine its use.