Danfoss has supplied power converters for a major renewable hydrogen plant developed and built by Linde Engineering for Yara Clean Ammonia, the global fertilizer manufacturer. The 24 MW plant was officially inaugurated in June 2024 and is located in Porsgrunn, Norway. Here, Yara Clean Ammonia will use green hydrogen to produce low-carbon fertilizer.

The hydrogen produced at the 24 MW renewable hydrogen plant in Herøya Industrial Park is produced by electrolysis of demineralized water using electricity sourced from 100 percent renewable energy. This green hydrogen replaces propane as feedstock or further processing to green ammonia, which Yara expects will save many thousand tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The first delivery of green fertilizer made from green ammonia produced at the plant has already been shipped.

In the conversion from AC to a variable DC, there is a need for intelligent and reliable power conversion, which Danfoss can provide. Danfoss power converters offer the highly efficient and flexible power conversion required to run these demanding applications.

To produce green hydrogen efficiently, the AC or DC power supply must be adapted to the characteristics of the electrolyzer. Based on many years of experience in the field of power conversion systems, Danfoss Drives has developed the best-fitting power supply solution for the 24 MW plant to meet the requirements of industry and grid operators for a safe and reliable power supply based on active front-end technology.

“Danfoss Drives is proud to contribute to this groundbreaking project that sets a new benchmark for industrial practices. Our advanced power conversion technology plays a crucial role in enabling the efficient and reliable production of green hydrogen. This project not only highlights our commitment to innovation but also marks a significant step towards the decarbonization of industry” Mika Kulju, President of Danfoss Drives.

With this project, the foundations are being laid for the efficient and grid-friendly power conversion for environmentally friendly produced green hydrogen, helping to decarbonize industry.

“To successfully implement such lighthouse projects, experienced partners are essential. In Danfoss, we have found a partner who provides us with reliable products” John van der Velden, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering.

“This groundbreaking project represents an important step towards the decarbonization of energy intensive industries. We are producing renewable ammonia and have delivered the first low-carbon fertilizer using hydrogen made with renewable energy. Our efforts here contribute to decarbonizing the entire food value chain and paving the path to enable low-carbon ammonia as a shipping fuel, for power generation and to be used as an energy carrier” Hans Olav Raen, CEO of Yara Clean Ammonia.

The electrolysis plant, which has a production capacity of around 10,000 kilograms of hydrogen per day, is based on proton exchange membrane technology from ITM Power. Yara will use the green hydrogen as feedstock to produce 20,500 metric tons of ammonia per year, which will be converted into 80,000 metric tons of green fertilizer.