The COP28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, who is also the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), promotes blue ammonia as a low-carbon product. However, experts disagree with this characterisation. Blue ammonia is made by capturing CO2 emissions during the production of blue hydrogen, which is then converted into ammonia for easier storage and transport. ADNOC has been exporting blue ammonia as part of its strategy to appear more environmentally friendly.
Critics argue that blue ammonia production is not low-carbon, as it can emit up to three times more greenhouse gases than diesel and more than coal or natural gas. This is due to methane leakage during production and inefficiencies in the hydrogen to ammonia conversion process. Furthermore, the captured CO2 is used by ADNOC for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which increases oil output and ultimately leads to more emissions.
Experts question the efficiency of carbon capture and storage (CCS), the technology underpinning blue ammonia’s supposed ‘cleanliness’. Capture rates are often lower than claimed, and there is a risk of CO2 leakage from storage sites. The use of captured CO2 for EOR further undermines the environmental benefits, as it leads to additional oil production and associated emissions.
Professor Robert Howarth from Cornell University criticizes the promotion of blue ammonia as a solution, stating that it is not effective and that we should instead focus on stopping the use of fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy. ADNOC did not respond to a request for comment on these criticisms.
COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber promotes blue ammonia as a decarbonisation solution. We spoke to various experts who disagree.
Source: ‘Low-carbon product’ promoted by COP28 president 3 times more damaging than ‘regular’ fuels | Euronews