Hamburg-based energy company Mabanaft reached another milestone in the planned construction of its ammonia import terminal in the Port of Hamburg last Friday and presented the necessary construction measures in an application conference before Hamburg’s environmental authority (Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture Authority / BUKEA, Behörde für Umwelt, Klima, Energie und Agrarwirtschaft). The construction measures include building a tank for storing liquid ammonia at Mabanaft’s existing Blumensand Tank Terminal in the Port of Hamburg.
Next step to be the approval process initiation
In a next step, Mabanaft will submit the approval documents to BUKEA and thus initiate the approval process in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act.
Successful nautical risk analysis
In the past week, the so-called HAZID risk analysis was conducted over several days and was successfully completed. During this, experts together with competent employees of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) examined possible nautical risks in the operation of the terminal as well as in the arrival and departure of so-called Very Large Gas Carriers at Mabanaft’s Blumensand Tank Terminal operating site.
Import terminal to provide access to large amounts of climate-friendly energy
Volker Ebeling, Senior Vice President New Energy, Chemicals and Gas at Mabanaft: “The ammonia import terminal is the first step in building New Energy Gate, a terminal for sustainable hydrogen products that will enable Hamburg to import large amounts of climate-friendly energy.” And further: “With the application conference in front of the BUKEA, we are getting a lot closer to this goal. We are now working flat out to open the approval process.”
Together with its anchor customer Air Products, Mabanaft, last November in the presence of Federal Minister Dr. Robert Habeck and the First Mayor of Hamburg Dr. Peter Tschentscher, announced the construction of a large-scale terminal for clean energy. The project, with a three-digit million investment volume, envisages importing clean ammonia to the site of Mabanaft's Blumensand Tank Terminal from the end of 2026 on. It is currently planned for some of the ammonia to be converted into hydrogen using hydrogen production units, while some of the ammonia is to be sold as bunker fuel.
Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG is a leading independent and integrated energy company, providing its customers with innovative energy solutions for their transportation, heating, industrial and agricultural needs. The group is active in import, distribution and marketing of petroleum products, natural gas liquids, chemicals and biofuels, and supports its customers’ transition to cleaner fuels by providing alternative long-term solutions.