ABB has signed a term sheet agreement with SwitcH2 to engineer and supply automation and electrification solutions for SwitcH2’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. The FPSO will be dedicated to producing green ammonia from green hydrogen, to support future 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 power purchase agreements. It will feature a 300-MW electrolyser with the potential to produce up to 243,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually.
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Modular systems
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 cyber security integration. These modular, ready-to-deploy systems will help ensure safe, efficient and reliable operations offshore. ABB’s solutions will fully integrate with third-party equipment, including electrolysers and ammonia synthesis units.
Front-end engineering and design (FEED) work is expected to run until summer 2026, with a Final Investment Decision (FID) due by the third quarter of 2026. Detailed engineering and construction will then follow in 2027.
‘This collaboration represents a key step in advancing offshore production capabilities for next-generation marine fuels,’ says 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.’
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From green hydrogen to ammonia
The FPSO will utilise treated seawater and use electrolysis to produce green hydrogen. This hydrogen will be combined with nitrogen extracted from the air to create green ammonia. Once synthesised, the ammonia will be condensed and stored on board. It will then be transferred to carrier ships via a floating hose system for transport 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 decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping.
‘Our leading technologies in automation and electrification will enable this project to run with greater efficiency,’ states Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division. ‘Green ammonia offers a technically viable method for decarbonising marine transport, and this FPSO concept showcases how renewable energy can be leveraged to unlock low carbon energy value chains.’
Image by SwitcH2.
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