ABB tech will be used in SwitcH2 green ammonia production floater

Image: SwitcH2

ABB has signed a term sheet agreement with Rotterdam-headquartered SwitcH2 to engineer and supply automation and electrification solutions for 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 SwitcH2 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 tonnes 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.

“This collaboration represents a key step in advancing offshore production capabilities for next-generation marine fuels,” said Saskia Kunst, CEO of SwitcH2. “By integrating ABB’s advanced electrification and automation systems, we are demonstrating how technology-driven partnerships can accelerate innovation, shaping he future of energy at sea.”

The SwitchH2 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 emissions1.

“As with other hard-to-abate industries, we are committed to helping the marine sector operate leaner and cleaner. Our leading technologies in automation and electrification will enable this project to run with greater efficiently,” said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB’s Energy Industries division. “Green ammonia offers a technically viable method for decarbonizing marine transport, and this FPSO concept showcases how renewable energy can be leveraged to unlock low carbon energy value chains.”

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.