MUSCAT - Oman Shell has announced that its landmark low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia project – dubbed ‘Blue Horizons’ – has entered the key pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) phase.

In a post on Monday, July 15, 2024, Walid Hadi – Senior Vice President & Country Chair – Shell, also revealed that Wood plc, a global leader in engineering and business consulting, has been awarded the contract to deliver the pre-FEED package for the Blue Horizons project planned at the Duqm Special Economic Zone. Also as part of the pre-FEED package, Wood will handle the CO2 pipeline and CO2 injection facilities as well.

“The facility will utilize Shell’s Blue Hydrogen process and KBR’s Synloop Ammonia technology, selected after an independent technology evaluation to deliver both cost-competitive and low carbon intensity products,” said Hadi.

“The proposed Blue Horizons project, to be located in Duqm Oman, aims to supply low-carbon blue hydrogen and ammonia to local and international markets, enabled by capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with the production process.  A suitable CO2 store for the proposed project has been selected,” he further stated.

Under a Joint Study Agreement signed early in 2023, Shell announced a collaboration with OQ, the integrated global energy group of the Sultanate of Oman; OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), the owner and operator of the country’s national gas transportation network; and Petroleum Development Oman. The partners, together with Shell as lead developer of the project, had committed to collaborating on the pre-FEED elements for this initiative.

“Through our role in this low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia project, Shell continues to support Oman’s Vision 2040 and its ambition to reach Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 by supplying low carbon fuels domestically and abroad,” Hadi stated.

The partners, he said, aim to mature the technical design during the pre-FEED stage, chalk out the commercial arrangements with the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and customers, and “demonstrate the broader in-country benefits” of the project.

“Shell’s blue and green hydrogen projects in Oman are complementary and we are therefore pleased to be the lead developer of both the Blue Horizons project and the Green Energy Oman renewable hydrogen project,” the official added.

2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).