Ammonia Specialist Fertiberia To Partner With Horisont Energi For Realization Of The Barents Blue Project

Horisont Energi today announces a cooperation agreement with the Spanish company Fertiberia, a leading producer of ammonia, for the realization of Europe’s largest clean ammonia production plant: the Barents Blue project located in Finnmark, in the Northern Norway.

Fertiberia is one of the main crop nutrition and environmental solutions providers in the European Union and one of the leading companies in Spain and Portugal. Fertiberia is the first major company in the sector to commit to being carbon neutral in the next decade and it strengthens its position in the development of products with a high added value. The company, present in several sectors, has been a permanent reference for Spanish agriculture, one of the most advanced in the world.

Horisont Energi and Fertiberia have entered into a cooperation agreement for the development of the Barents Blue project aiming at a full partnership agreement from 1 April 2023. Equinor and Vår Energi discontinue their participating interests in the project. The partnership change will take effect as of 31 January 2023. Fertiberia and Horisont Energi will hold 50% and 50% respectively after the partnership agreement.

The Barents Blue project is Europe’s largest clean ammonia production plant located in Finnmark, in Northern Norway. Once the first train is operational, Barents Blue is planned to produce 1 million tonnes of clean ammonia and it will be the most energy efficient blue ammonia plant in the world with best-in-class carbon footprint and well aligned with the EU taxonomy.

The Barents Blue project is supported by a grant of NOK 482 million under the EU IPCEI hydrogen program, which is not affected by the changes in the partner consortium. The IPCEI award confirms the big potential and innovative nature of the Barents Blue project.

Equinor remains positive to explore gas supply solutions to the Barents Blue project from Melkøya following the changes in the partner consortium. Horisont Energi will invite new partners into the Polaris CO2 storage licence, including a qualified operator. A new licence group will bring the project forward to a submission of plan for development. The changes in the licence group will be coordinated with relevant authorities.