Norwegian FSRU player Hoegh Evi, previously known as Hoegh LNG, is joining forces with German gas importer Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) to develop floating ammonia-to-hydrogen terminals along Germany’s Baltic Sea and North Sea coasts, as well as other potential locations in Europe.
In that regard, Hoegh Evi and SEFE signed a memorandum of understanding in Berlin on Monday.
Hoegh Evi said the two firms will analyze the technical and commercial feasibility of various corridors for the supply of hydrogen based on ammonia.
The objective of the agreement is to implement international supply chains for hydrogen.
This includes sourcing of ammonia, transportation by ship, and delivery to floating import terminals where the ammonia is cracked into hydrogen for delivery to SEFE customers through the German hydrogen core grid.
Hoegh Evi said the cooperation will also identify possible locations for floating ammonia-to-hydrogen terminals along Germany’s Baltic Sea and North Sea coasts, as well as other potential locations in Europe.
SEFE will manage both the upstream supply portfolio and the downstream part of the supply chain, including global sourcing of clean molecules, the aggregation of hydrogen demand in Germany and Europe, and investment in the German hydrogen core grid through its subsidiary Gascade.
On the other hand, Hoegh Evi will provide the midstream infrastructure to connect Germany with international hydrogen markets including the transportation of ammonia by ship and the floating import terminal infrastructure.
Hoegh Evi said the terminals will provide a supply of “dispatchable and baseload-ready clean hydrogen for industrial customers using Höegh Evi’s ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker, the world’s only floating solution to convert ammonia to hydrogen at an industrial scale.”
Focus beyond LNG import terminals
Hoegh’s fleet comprises ten FSRUs and three LNG carriers.
The entire fleet is operating under long-term contracts, except the LNG carrier Hoegh Gandria which is currently employed on a short-term LNGC contract ending in the fourth quarter of 2024.
In September 2024, Hoegh LNG changed its name to Hoegh Evi to reflect the recent expansion of Hoegh’s focus beyond LNG import terminals.
The firm signed a memorandum in November last year with the French port of Port-La Nouvelle to develop a floating terminal for hydrogen imports.
The terminal will facilitate the import of up to 210,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year as early as 2030, according to the project timeline and dependent on the readiness of France’s hydrogen pipeline.
Hoegh and German LNG terminal operator Deutsche ReGas also signed a deal to develop a floating hydrogen import terminal in the German port of Lubmin.
The partners claim this terminal will be the world’s first floating import terminal for the industrial-scale conversion of green ammonia to green hydrogen.
