March 9, 2023 [OffshoreEnergy] – Dutch bulk liquid storage company Vesta Terminals has awarded a scoping & feasibility study and a subsequent front-end engineering design (FEED) contract to compatriot ammonia engineering firm Proton Ventures for repurposing of two 30,000 m3 ammonia tanks in Vlissingen.

The contract is a part of Vesta’s and Uniper’s joint plan to create the first green ammonia hub in North-West Europe. To remind, the companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year to evaluate the feasibility of refurbishing and expanding an existing storage facility into the ammonia hub called ‘Greenpoint Valley’.

Vesta Terminals in Vlissingen currently has 60,000 m3 of refrigerated storage capacity built for ammonia and as a future hub will be able to handle an initial throughput capacity of 1 million metric ton per annum (mtpa).

In a second phase the throughput capacity of the facility can be expanded to 2 mtpa and the terminal will be connected to the Dutch hydrogen pipeline network via a world-scale cracker. The commissioning and start of operations are envisaged for the second half of 2025.

According to the partners, the terminal is well located for the supply of green ammonia by seagoing vessels, re-loading into barges and rail tank cars.

The new contract for the scoping/feasibility study and FEED project is a follow-up of the pre-feasibility study Proton executed for Vesta in early 2022 on the reconversion of two existing ammonia tanks (now used for biodiesel), (un-)loading infrastructure including the concept design of an ammonia-to-H2 cracker.

For the FEED scope, Proton will focus on:

• Reconversion of the two existing tanks back for ammonia storage in Vlissingen;
• (Un-)loading very large gas carriers (VLGC) and barges, including jetty expansion;
• Loading to railcars via a new railcar loading area (RLA); and
• Spatial provision for a third storage tank in the future and a cracker.

“The team at Proton Ventures is delighted to present a custom and future-proof solution for the transformation of an existing Dutch terminal of strategic importance. We have the right team in place to contribute to the energy transition via green ammonia and timely deliver a safe and state-of-the-art design”, said George Dodoros, Business Development Director at Proton Ventures.

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