The Clariant AG (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) ammonia synthesis catalyst “AmoMax-Casale” was selected for a major, groundbreaking green ammonia project, being jointly developed by The Hydrogen Utility (H2U), a leading Australian developer of green hydrogen infrastructure, and Casale. The project will commence with two pilot plants at H2U’s Eyre Peninsula Gateway™ in South Australia, with the aim of expanding the technology to various plants, industry sectors, and regions. AmoMax-Casale is tailor-made and thus an optimal choice for green ammonia synthesis based on the Casale ammonia synthesis loop technology. The catalyst offers outstanding activity, stability, and energy efficiency, Clariant says.
Jointly developed by Clariant and Casale for use in Casale ammonia converters, AmoMax-Casale is a customized evolution of the industry-proven, wustite-based catalyst AmoMax 10. While retaining the same superior resistance to aging, poisoning, and mechanical strength, AmoMax-Casale is significantly more active. The catalyst’s optimized promoter package provides a larger active surface area and improved diffusion properties, resulting in a 30% higher efficiency index compared to the wustite-based reference, according to Clariant.
This allows a reduction of the loop pressure and recycle rates and/or an increase in ammonia production. By optimizing the plant’s overall efficiency with AmoMax-Casale, operators can significantly reduce their energy consumption or enjoy greater productivity at the same operating costs.
These combined features ensure that AmoMax-Casale can deliver stable and reliable performance despite fluctuating feed conditions caused by the variable supplies of renewable energy. Overall, green ammonia producers can expect maximum yields with minimum operating expenses.
The advantages of AmoMax-Casale were shown in practice and recognized through two awards: The Swiss Chemical Society’s Sandmeyer Award 2021, and the prestigious ICIS Innovation Award 2020 for “Process with Best Benefit to the Environment and Sustainability,” which both went to AmoMax-Casale.