Efficiency and decarbonisation in ammonia production

Trinidad and Tobago

Treveno Stenn Mowassie, president of Yara Trinidad, and Karlon Batchasingh, president of Tringen Nitrogen Co. (Tringen), talk to The Energy Year about embracing opportunities for decarbonisation and navigating Trinidad’s gas supply challenges. Global crop nutrition company Yara International holds a 49% stake, through a subsidiary, in Tringen, a producer of anhydrous ammonia.

What is the significance of the joint venture partnership between Yara International and Tringen?
Treveno MOWASSIE: Yara and Tringen have a deep-rooted joint venture that has worked in the interest of all parties and continues the public-private partnership intended since Tringen’s formation in 1974. Yara contributes expertise in technical aspects, operational management, distribution and shipping, and brings the market intelligence and progressive outlook of the global business analytics to the local landscape. We do so using the values and vision of Yara International and are guided by our mission to Feed the World and Protect the Planet.
Together, we have forged our presence in the local environment as one of the pioneering and longest-operating companies in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. We have been able to bring additional value to the people of Trinidad and Tobago by upgrading the natural gas purchased into ammonia and providing that upgrade value back to the State.

Karlon BATCHASINGH: Following the joint venture with Yara, the Tringen-I plant was commissioned in 1977 followed by the Tringen-II production facility in 1985. The site created a lot of opportunities and was the starting point from which the rest of the Point Lisas Industrial Estate expanded. It provided a lot of opportunities, not only for direct local employment but also as the starting point for the establishment of a full service sector.

How have the challenges in natural gas supply impacted your operations in Trinidad?
TM: We continue to operate two Tringen assets, Tringen-I and Tringen-II, which collectively have an installed capacity to produce 1.1 million tonnes of ammonia per annum. However, with gas curtailments in recent times, it has not always been possible to operate the plants at their full capacity. We continue to work with all the stakeholders in the gas value chain to navigate through this volatile period but with optimism on the future potential for gas supply and business sustainability.
Ammonia demand continues to be driven by its use in fertiliser and food production. With a growing global population, it is natural to expect the demand for ammonia to grow as a result. Although the Trinidad natural gas supply over the past few years has not been able to keep up with the growing demand for ammonia, we will continue to maintain the optimum production possible in the local gas supply environment that we are currently operating in, with the intent that when this supply ramps up, we will be able to increase our production and we will grow alongside the growth in global ammonia demand.

What strategy are you following in the interim to navigate the gas supply challenges in Trinidad?
TM: The gas curtailment environment has challenged and tested the extent of our normal business focus of making the most efficient use of every molecule of gas. We have utilised the period we are in to adopt a strategy around maximum reliability and improved efficiency. In addition to the normal strategy of safe operation and trying to optimise output, we had to adapt and adjust to become more efficient and optimise the use of what we have available in this period – of course, maintaining safety as a top priority.
This has come through several actions the site has progressively taken, from major capital investments to directly impact plant energy efficiency which were executed in 2014 and resulted in a 10% reduction in plant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to securing ISO 50001 – Energy Management certification and thereby ensuring a systematic way of working and employee participation. This has come in the form of reviewing the operating and management strategy associated with energy management.
As a global entity, the technical knowledge and resources available to Yara Trinidad come not only from the local talent pool but also from the wider global organisation. As a global organisation, Yara brings the riches of technical and innovative ideas during these periods to achieve the best utilisation of the assets here in Trinidad.

KB: On Tringen’s side, we rely heavily on the advice we get from our manager and operator regarding the efficiency and reliability of the plants and understanding which of our assets we can continue to operate during the periods of gas curtailment. We aim to maintain our operations as best we can to continue supporting the country’s economy.

Is Yara exploring any markets in the Americas for a potential expansion?
TM: From the perspective of a global entity such as Yara, there are evolving views on where opportunities exist around the world. Put simply, Yara has a mission to both feed the world and protect the planet. Within the Americas, the US presents commercial structures and other incentives that align with values held by Yara, such as those that enable environmentally sustainable solutions and carbon sequestration projects.
We are quite focused on our strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, so green and blue solutions in ammonia production are very much a priority. At this point in time, the US provides quite an attractive environment to facilitate blue ammonia production and as a result, there are assessments ongoing on the opportunities regarding ammonia production. This also includes several public announcements regarding possible joint ventures between Yara and other entities in that region.

Does Yara see opportunities in the Trinidadian energy market that align with this mission to decarbonise?
TM: Yara, as an international company, will explore growth opportunities in all of the regions it operates in, and Trinidad will continue to be a part of that potential. Trinidad remains part of the focus in looking at our opportunities to produce blue or green ammonia. However, what needs to mature more quickly in Trinidad is the environment enabling initiatives such as carbon sequestration or access to renewable energy – or both. The end goal is to reach a full transition where renewable energy can be used to produce the hydrogen used in ammonia production. Access to renewable energy at the scale required for an ammonia plant is not yet available in Trinidad but we will prepare and plan for when that time comes. During that transition, carbon sequestration, especially in the context of opportunity in Trinidad, could provide the transitionary pathway required to enable the timeline for the green solutions of the future.

What approach will you take with your operations in Trinidad while upholding decarbonisation goals?
TM: We will continue our approach of being safety-focused, energy and GHG optimisation focused and bringing value back to our shareholders. We will continue to work for all stakeholders towards GHG reduction initiatives and remain ready to participate in pilot and large-scale projects towards this goal. We will focus on the possibility of implementing blue ammonia production solutions as a transition pathway. Until access to large-scale renewable power is available, we will also work towards green solutions on a pilot and medium scale. And we will do this through the empowerment and engagement of our people.
Trinidad has the necessary infrastructure, technical resources, knowledge and skills to achieve that in a relatively short time. At a national level, the legislation and enabling factors to move forward with carbon sequestration are already being discussed, but this needs to be further prioritised to increase the pace of progress.

As Trinidad and Tobago aims to develop a green hydrogen economy, what is the potential for collaborative projects, such as with NewGen?
TM: Our resolve to assess and move in that direction is firm, and has been since the onset of the discussion around national commitments to reducing carbon emissions. We have put a lot of effort into exploring options.
The NewGen project presents a green transition solution that we have studied at length with NewGen to determine the viability of utilising renewable solar power to produce hydrogen that can then be integrated into one of the Tringen plants. We have completed the internal feasibility assessments on the technical aspects, demonstrating that it is technically possible. We continue to work with all parties in advancing this promising direction and remain very willing and excited to continue the works with others that may make it a technical and commercial reality.

KB: If that comes to fruition, Tringen will be the first petrochemicals plant in the country, and possibly within the Caribbean region, to initiate such a project. It will be in the State’s interest for this to happen as it will benefit the people of the country and the region.

What is the significance of the gas sales contract signed between Tringen and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited in December 2023?
TM: The agreement shows the willingness of Tringen and Yara to remain in the local environment despite the challenges with gas supply at this time. It demonstrates the interest and commitment we have to continue bringing value to the State and the people of Trinidad through Tringen. We are very happy to have completed the negotiation of that gas contract, which will allow operational continuity and upgrading the value of natural gas to ammonia for the contracted years to come.

Have the gas curtailments presented an opportunity for Tringen to strategise for turnaround and maintenance activities?
KB: Absolutely. We look at the curtailments and seek with our joint venture partner to assess the best time to take the plants down to do our turnarounds. In most instances, we have tied turnarounds in with periods of potential gas curtailments.

TM: It is important to use the opportunities presented to ensure that the reliability and efficiency of the assets are maintained and even improved. We are very prudent in the way that we utilise unscheduled and unexpected downtime events to make sure that we keep the safety, reliability and efficiency of the assets up to world-class standards so that when the supply is available, we can be as productive and safe as possible.

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