ABB to Supply Automation and Electrification Technology for Floating Green Ammonia Production Vessel

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 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 a Power Purchase Agreements. It will feature a 300 MW electrolyzer with the potential to produce up to 243,000 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 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 electrolyzers and ammonia synthesis units.

The FPSO will utilize 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 synthesized, the ammonia will be condensed and stored onboard. 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 decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping, which contributes approximately two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

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.