The Holmaneset Project is a planned green hydrogen and green ammonia production facility which will be developed in the Bremanger Municipality of Western Norway.
The project is being developed by Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and Norway Fortescue Future Industries, a Norwegian daughter company of Fortescue.
The opportunity to develop the Holmaneset Project was found via a scoping study conducted with the local Norwegian consultants in consultation with the Bremanger Municipality.
In May 2023, the initial planning programme for area zoning of the project was published in May 2023.
Project Gallery
In July 2023, the European Commission announced to invest in the project. Fortescue and Holmaneset became a part of the €3.6bn Clean Technology Fund of the European Commission.
The project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) as the EU has approved a grant of more than €200m for the project as a part of the EU’s innovation fund in December 2023.
The innovation fund is one of the largest funding programmes financed via revenues received from auctioning of allowances from the Emission Trading System of the EU. The funds are provided for demonstrating and commercialising innovative low-carbon technologies.
The funding will be granted after completing specified project milestones and the first instalment is payable on Financial Close.
Once operational, the project will contribute towards the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries like shipping and will accelerate the green energy market of Norway and the European Union via the Norwegian Government’s roadmap-green industrial initiative and REPowerEU Hydrogen Strategy of the European Commission.
Holmaneset Project Location Details
The Holmaneset Project is proposed to be developed northwest of Førde on the coast of the Nordgulen fjord and approximately 8km west of the Svelgen in the Municipality of Bremanger in Western Norway.
The planning area of the project consists of Holmaneset and the islands of Litleholmen, Meholmen, and Storeholmen in the Nordgulen.
The planning area covers an area of 1,349 decare (daa).
Holmaneset Project Details
The Holmaneset Project will consist of a 300MW green hydrogen and green ammonia production plant which will produce more than 40,000 tons per annum of green hydrogen and more than 225,000 tons per annum of green ammonia.
The project will reduce above 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) emissions over a five-year operation period.
The surplus renewable energy in the transmission network will be used by the production plant to power an integrated process plant.
The integrated process plant will house warehouse buildings, cloakroom facilities, a workshop, access control, fencing, a canteen, and an office.
The other facilities will be a hydrogen electrolysis facility, an ammonia synthesis facility, an ammonia tank for storage, a substation, and two port facilities of which one will have a quay to export ammonia and a traditional quay facility.
The construction of the project is targeted for 2025. The project is targeted to commence operations in 2027.
The production plant will operate 24 hours a day for the whole year. The produced ammonia will be transported by ship to the European and Norwegian markets and the expected ship traffic is approximately one to four ships per month depending upon the tank ship size.
Production Process Details
The Holmaneset Project will produce green hydrogen and green ammonia through two main processes: Electrolysis and Ammonia Synthesis.
Under Electrolysis, electricity is passed through demineralised water resulting in hydrogen and oxygen by the splitting of water molecules.
Green hydrogen is converted into green ammonia through ammonia synthesis.
Under Ammonia Synthesis, nitrogen from the air combines with hydrogen resulting in ammonia.
The produced green ammonia is compressed and stored as a liquid through moderate pressure or refrigeration.
Ammonia can be stored as a liquid in double-walled tanks as it liquefies at -33oC and can be transported in various ways.
Ammonia is transported on land in the form of pressurised liquefied gas by road, rail, or pipelines. Via water, ammonia is transported by ship in a refrigerated state.
Contractors Involved
Henning Larsen prepared the initial planning program report of the Holmaneset Project. The report was published in May 2023.
In February 2023, FFI selected Norconsult ASA to conduct site investigations and design process equipment and balance of plant, infrastructure or ports, and utilities for the project.
Power Purchase Agreement
In March 2023, FFI signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Statkraft in Oslo under which Statkraft will supply renewable power for the operations of the project.
The PPA is conditional upon the Final Investment Decision for the project.