Increasing the availability of sustainable ammonia and expanding port capacities for imports: Uniper and SKW Piesteritz agree to collaborate
- The agreement officially signed by SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH (SKW Piesteritz) and Uniper on 19 April 2024 will help to meet the growing demand for ammonia and hydrogen derivatives
- The MoU covers the mutual supply of sustainable ammonia and other hydrogen derivatives as well as an increase in imports, with Uniper and the planned ammonia terminal in Wilhelmshaven as well as SKW Piesteritz providing the necessary import capacities
- Win-win: Uniper supports SKW Piesteritz in defossilising its products and at the same time benefits from the expertise of Germany's largest ammonia producer in the areas of production, storage and distribution
In the presence of the State Premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Dr Reiner Haseloff, Uniper and SKW Piesteritz officially signed an agreement in Lutherstadt Wittenberg on 19 April 2024 to support each other in the supply, production and logistics of ammonia and hydrogen derivatives. Among other things, the agreement calls for SKW Piesteritz, the largest producer of ammonia and urea in Germany, to supply Uniper with sustainably produced ammonia, while the SKW Piesteritz will supply green or blue ammonia in the medium to long term. The two companies will also collaborate closely on imports. The use of Uniper's import terminal in Wilhelmshaven, for example, will make it easier for SKW Piesteritz to import green ammonia. SKW Piesteritz in turn will provide Uniper with capacities in other European ports via its parent company AGROFERT. The agreement also covers the necessary distribution logistics, the expansion of production capacities and the conversion of ammonia into hydrogen.
This collaboration combines Uniper's strength in the global procurement of low-carbon and carbon-neutral ammonia, which also includes the expansion of the Wilhelmshaven site into a landing terminal and energy hub, with SKW Piesteritz's expertise in the production of sustainable ammonia, its distribution logistics and landing capacities in Europe.
Our government's aim is to create the right framework for businesses in the state to deliver a sustainable transformation. The chemical industry in Saxony-Anhalt's chemical triangle must have the chance to achieve the ambitious climate protection targets. With the state's hydrogen strategy, we are opening up prospects that are beneficial for our companies. This agreement between Uniper and SKW Piesteritz is an example of how this can be accomplished.
The collaboration with Uniper allows us to further expand our commitment to environmentally friendly solutions that meet the diverse requirements of German industry and society. At a time when the world is grappling with the challenges of sustainable industrial growth, this partnership is an essential building block. In addition to our own technology development projects for our production facilities, the cooperation with Uniper is another component of our strategy to defossilise our products in the long term. We are already helping our customers to sustainably reduce their carbon footprint. In future, we will optimise this. In addition to blue ammonia, green ammonia will become an important component here.
The collaboration with Uniper allows us to further expand our commitment to environmentally friendly solutions that meet the diverse requirements of German industry and society. At a time when the world is grappling with the challenges of sustainable industrial growth, this partnership is an essential building block. In addition to our own technology development projects for our production facilities, the cooperation with Uniper is another component of our strategy to defossilise our products in the long term. We are already helping our customers to sustainably reduce their carbon footprint. In future, we will optimise this. In addition to blue ammonia, green ammonia will become an important component here.
For more information, please contact:
SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH
Christopher Profitlich
Spokesperson
T +49 (0) 151 19533642
[email protected]
Uniper SE
Charlotte Rockenbauer
Spokesperson
T +49 (0) 170 1991651
[email protected]
About SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH
SKW Stickstoffwerke Piesteritz GmbH (SKW Piesteritz) is a subsidiary of Prague-based AGROFERT, a.s. SKW Piesteritz's product portfolio includes industrial and agrochemical products. SKW Piesteritz is the largest producer of ammonia and urea in Germany and one of the leading manufacturers of AdBlue®, a denitrification agent for diesel-powered vehicles. SKW Piesteritz has an efficient industrial and applied research organisation, is a founding member of the Piesteritz Agrochemical Institute (AIP), an institute affiliated to Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and thus has access to application-oriented basic research. In 2022, SKW Piesteritz employed an average of over 860 people and generated around EUR 1.5 billion in sales. For more information go to www.skwp.de.
AGROFERT, a.s. is a Czech group of companies operating in industries such as raw materials, chemicals, renewable energies, agriculture and forestry, agricultural trade, food production and media. In Germany, AGROFERT, a.s. owns various subsidiaries such as SKW Piesteritz and the bread and bakery products manufacturer Lieken. In 2022, AGROFERT, a.s. recorded sales of around CZK 245 billion, generated by around 31,000 employees. For more information go to www.agrofert.cz.
About Uniper
Düsseldorf-based Uniper is an international energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. The company and its roughly 7,000 employees make an important contribution to supply security in Europe, particularly in its core markets of Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Uniper’s operations encompass power generation in Europe, global energy trading, and a broad gas portfolio. Uniper procures gas—including liquefied natural gas (LNG)—and other energy sources on global markets. The company owns and operates gas storage facilities with a total capacity of more than 7 billion cubic meters.
Uniper intends to be completely carbon-neutral by 2040. Uniper aims for its installed power generating capacity to be more than 80% zero-carbon by 2030. To achieve this, the company is transforming its power plants and facilities and investing in flexible, dispatchable power generating units. Uniper is already one of Europe’s largest operators of hydropower plants and is helping further expand solar and wind power, which are essential for a more sustainable and secure future. The company is progressively expanding its gas portfolio to include green gases like hydrogen and biomethane and aims to convert to these gases over the long term.
Uniper is a reliable partner for communities, municipal utilities, and industrial enterprises for planning and implementing innovative, lower-carbon solutions on their decarbonization journey. Uniper is a hydrogen pioneer, is active worldwide along the entire hydrogen value chain, and is conducting projects to make hydrogen a mainstay of the energy supply.
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