ABB has reached an agreement with SwitcH2 to engineer and supply automation and electrification solutions for SwitcH2’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit dedicated to producing green ammonia from green hydrogen, to support the demand for low-carbon marine fuels.
The FPSO facility will be stationed off the coast of Portugal and powered by certified renewable electricity from the national grid under a power purchase agreement. It will feature a 300MW electrolyzer which is expected to produce up to 243,000 metric tons of green ammonia annually.
As part of the term sheet agreement, ABB intends to deliver a prefabricated eHouse, electrical distribution systems and ABB Ability System 800xA integrated control and safety system (ICSS) with full cybersecurity integration. These modular, ready-to-deploy systems are designed to ensure safe, efficient and reliable operations offshore.
ABB’s solutions are said to fully integrate with third-party equipment, including electrolyzers and ammonia synthesis units.
“This collaboration represents a key step in advancing offshore production capabilities for next-generation marine fuels,” said Saskia Kunst, CEO of SwitcH2. “By integrating ABB’s advanced electrification and automation systems, we are demonstrating how technology-driven partnerships can accelerate innovation, shaping the future of energy at sea.”
The FPSO will use treated seawater and electrolysis to produce green hydrogen, which will be combined with nitrogen extracted from the air to create green ammonia. Once synthesized, the ammonia will be condensed and stored on board. It will then be transferred to carrier ships via a floating hose system for transportation to ports where it can be used as a marine fuel or cracked back to hydrogen for industrial use.
Green ammonia is emerging as a scalable solution for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping, which contributes approximately 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“As with other hard-to-abate industries, we are committed to helping the marine sector operate leaner and cleaner. Our leading technologies in automation and electrification will enable this project to run with greater efficiently,” said Per Erik Holsten, president of ABB’s Energy Industries division. “Green ammonia offers a technically viable method for decarbonizing marine transport, and this FPSO concept showcases how renewable energy can be leveraged to unlock low carbon energy value chains.”
Front-end engineering and design (FEED) work is expected to run until summer 2026, with a final investment decision (FID) due by the Q3 2026. Detailed engineering and construction will then follow in 2027.
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