PROCESS Worldwide brings to you the ‘Top 10 plant engineering projects of December 2022’ from all over the world. Right from developing Europe’s largest green hydrogen hub to Sulzer offering technologies for the world’s first commercial scale e-methanol plant, find out all the projects making headlines here.
At a glance: Plant engineering projects from across the globe.
Cepsa to Develop Europe’s Largest Green Hydrogen Hub
Through this initiative, Cepsa strengthens its commitment to Andalusia, a key region of its Positive Motion plan.
(Source: Cepsa)
December 05 – Cepsa will invest more than 3 billion euros to establish the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, creating the largest green hydrogen hub in Europe in southern Spain. The project, part of Cepsa’s 2030 strategy Positive Motion, will contribute to Europe's energy security and independence, in line with the objectives of the European Union's Repower EU strategy. The investment is the biggest milestone to date of Cepsa's Positive Motion energy transition plan to lead sustainable mobility and the production of green hydrogen and advanced biofuels in Spain and Portugal in this decade.
The company will build two plants with a total capacity of 2 GW to produce green hydrogen. The plants, with 1 GW of capacity each, will be located in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) next to Cepsa’s La Rábida Energy Park and at the company’s San Roque Energy Park in Cádiz. The Huelva plant will start up in 2026, reaching full capacity in 2028, while the Cádiz facility will be operational in 2027. Cepsa is already working on the engineering and administrative processing of the project.
To generate the renewable electricity needed to feed production of green hydrogen, Cepsa will develop a 3 GW portfolio of wind and solar energy projects with an additional 2-billion-euro investment. The company will also collaborate with other renewable energy producers in Andalusia and the rest of Spain to promote the integration of these new plants into the electricity system.
“The Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley is a groundbreaking project whose 2 GW capacity is 10 times bigger than the largest under construction in Europe today. This project produces green hydrogen at scale that can decarbonize industry, aviation, and heavy road and maritime transport in Europe, for Europe,” states Maarten Wetselaar - CEO of Cepsa.
The Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley will produce 300,000 tons of green hydrogen per year, driving the decarbonization of Cepsa’s Energy Parks where it will produce advanced biofuels for aviation (SAF), and maritime and heavy land transport.
Hydrogen will be particularly important for the production of by-products such as green ammonia and methanol, which will ensure that green marine fuels will be available in the main Spanish ports, helping to decarbonize maritime sector customers.
Implementing this project will save six million tons of CO2 emissions per year. Aside from replacing grey hydrogen in industrial processes, green hydrogen will also have a multiplier effect when used in the production of renewable fuels that will replace traditional fossil fuels.
Air Products, AES to Develop USA’s Largest Green H2 Facility
The facility, which is targeted to begin commercial operations in 2027, will serve growing demand for zero-carbon intensity fuels for the mobility market as well as other industrial markets.
(Source: Joe Eilenberg/Air Products)
December 12 – Air Products and The AES Corporation recently announced plans to invest approximately 4 billion dollars to build, own and operate a green hydrogen production facility in Wilbarger County, Texas. This mega-scale renewable power to hydrogen project includes approximately 1.4 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar power generation, along with electrolyzer capacity capable of producing over 200 metric tons per day (MT/D) of green hydrogen, making it the largest green hydrogen facility in the United States.
The facility, which is targeted to begin commercial operations in 2027, will serve growing demand for zero-carbon intensity fuels for the mobility market as well as other industrial markets. It will yield a totally clean source of energy on a massive scale, and, if all the green hydrogen were used in the heavy-duty truck market, it would eliminate more than 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually when compared to diesel use in heavy-duty trucks. Over the project lifetime, it is expected to avoid more than 50 million metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of avoiding emissions from nearly five billion gallons of diesel fuel.
Air Products and AES will jointly and equally own the renewable energy and electrolyzer assets, with Air Products serving as the exclusive off-taker and marketer of the green hydrogen under a 30-year contract.
The project would create more than 1,300 construction and 115 permanent operations jobs, as well as about 200 transportation and distribution jobs. It is also expected to generate approximately 500 million dollars in tax benefits to the state over the course of the project’s lifetime, while extending Texas’ energy leadership.
Date: 08.12.2025
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“We are very pleased to announce this exciting joint venture with AES, which is one of the leading renewable energy companies in America. The new facility in Texas will be, by far, the largest mega-scale clean hydrogen production facility in the U.S. to use wind and sun as energy sources. We have been working on the development of this project with AES for many years and it will be competitive on a world-scale while bringing significant tax, job and energy security benefits to Texas. We are excited to move forward and make clean green hydrogen available to U.S. customers in the near future,” said Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
AES President and Chief Executive Officer Andrés Gluski stated, “We are very pleased to partner with the world leader in hydrogen, Air Products, for this first of its kind mega-scale green hydrogen facility in the United States. We will build more than 1 GW of new solar and wind facilities to provide zero carbon energy for electrolysis and related production facilities. AES believes that green hydrogen has a key role to play in decarbonizing transportation and accelerating the future of energy.”
Demand for green hydrogen for mobility and industrial applications is expected to grow exponentially across the United States over the next decade. The growth in demand is supported by green hydrogen’s role in net-zero ambitions announced by several states and major corporations. The project is subject to receipt of local permits, and local, state and federal incentives.
Tessenderlo Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Liquid Fertilizer Plant
The engineering and construction of the plant are being undertaken by LGI (Le Gaz Intégral), who also constructed the first Thio-Sul plant, located in Rouen (France).
(Source: Tessenderlo)
December 13 – Tessenderlo Group’s Tessenderlo Kerley International business unit recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to start the construction works for its new liquid fertilizer plant at the Chemelot site in Geleen, the Netherlands. Tessenderlo Kerley International – which supplies value-added liquid, soluble, and solid plant nutrition to support growers in realizing efficient and sustainable agriculture – is constructing a Thio-Sul (ammonium thiosulfate/ATS) manufacturing plant, which will be used as a fertilizer for broad-acre crops as well as arboricultural and vegetable crop cultivation. The plant is expected to be operational by mid-2024 and will employ approximately 20 people.
“With the new plant in Geleen, which will be our second Thio-Sul plant in Europe, we are further expanding our local presence in the liquid fertilizer market for precision farming. The Geleen branch will respond to the growing demand for liquid fertilizers from the European market. These fertilizers supplement sulfur nutrients and limit nitrogen losses”, explained Geert Gyselinck, Tessenderlo Kerley International’s Executive Vice President.
In September 2017, Tessenderlo Kerley International launched its first European plant for the production of Thio-Sul in Rouen (France). Together with Tessenderlo Kerley Fleuren, a tank storage and transshipment company for liquid products located in the Port of Cuijk (the Netherlands) that was acquired by Tessenderlo Group in the first half of 2022, the new plant will further strengthen Tessenderlo Kerley International’s position in the Western European liquid fertilizer market and assist its sustainability goals by bringing liquid fertilizers closer to its customers.
Executive Director Chemelot, Loek Radix commented on this milestone: “With Tessenderlo Kerley International, we have another fertilizer world player that expands and complements the existing production at Chemelot. Their new liquid fertilizer plant is a great example of the extension of the Chemelot ammonia value chain. This fits within the Chemelot strategy 2050”. The engineering and construction of the plant are being undertaken by LGI (Le Gaz Intégral), who also constructed the first Thio-Sul plant, located in Rouen (France).
Aramco, Total Energies to Develop 11-Billion-Dollar Petrochemical Complex in Saudi
The complex will comprise of a mixed feed cracker capable of producing 1.65 million tons per annum of ethylene, the first in the region to be integrated with a refinery.
(Source: Saudi Arabian Oil Co.)
December 16 – The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) and Total Energies have taken the final investment decision for the construction of a world scale petrochemical facility in Saudi Arabia. The “Amiral” complex will be owned, operated, and integrated with the existing Satorp refinery located in Jubail on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast. The investment decision is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals.
The petrochemical facility will enable Satorp to convert internally produced refinery off-gases and naphtha, as well as ethane and natural gasoline supplied by Aramco, into higher value chemicals, helping to advance Aramco’s liquids to chemicals strategy.
The complex will comprise of a mixed feed cracker capable of producing 1.65 million tons per annum of ethylene, the first in the region to be integrated with a refinery. It will also include two state-of-the-art polyethylene units using Advanced Dual Loop technology, a butadiene extraction unit, and other associated derivatives units.
The project alone represents an investment of around 11-billion-dollars, of which 4-billion-dollars will be funded through equity by Aramco (62.5 %) and Total Energies (37.5 %). Its construction is scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2023 with commercial operation targeted to start in 2027.
Eventually, the complex will provide feedstock to other petrochemical and specialty chemical plants, located in the Jubail industrial area, which will be built, owned and operated by globally renowned downstream investors, entailing an estimated additional 4-billion-dollars of investments. This will support the establishment of key manufacturing industries such as carbon fibers, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires.
The overall complex, including adjacent facilities, is expected to create 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs.
Exxonmobil Commences Operations at Mega Advanced Recycling Facility
Since the start of pilot operations at Baytown last year, Exxonmobil has recycled nearly 15 million pounds of plastic waste.
(Source: Pixabay)
December 16 – Exxonmobil has recently announced the successful start-up of one of the largest advanced recycling facilities in North America. The facility at the company’s integrated manufacturing complex in Baytown, Texas, uses proprietary technology to break down hard-to-recycle plastics and transform them into raw materials for new products. It is capable of processing more than 80 million pounds of plastic waste per year, supporting a circular economy for post-use plastics and helping divert plastic waste currently sent to landfills.
“We’ve proven our proprietary advanced recycling technology at Baytown, and now we’re leveraging our scale and integration to increase production of certified circular plastics to meet growing demand,” said Karen Mckee, president of Exxonmobil Product Solutions Company. “There is substantial demand for recycled plastics, and advanced recycling can play an important role by breaking down plastics that could not be recycled in traditional, mechanical methods. We are collaborating with government, industry and communities to scale up the collection and sorting of plastic waste that will improve recycling rates and help our customers around the world meet their sustainability goals.”
Since the start of pilot operations at Baytown last year, Exxonmobil has recycled nearly 15 million pounds of plastic waste. The proprietary Exxtend technology enables the breakdown of plastic waste that would previously be destined for landfills – from synthetic athletic fields to bubble wrap and motor oil bottles.
The company helped form Cyclyx International, a joint venture created to collect and sort large volumes of plastic waste and is investing in a first-of-its-kind plastic waste processing facility in Houston to help supply Exxonmobil’s Baytown advanced recycling facility.
Exxonmobil plans to build advanced recycling facilities at many of its other manufacturing sites around the world, which would give it the capacity to process up to 1 billion pounds of plastic waste annually by year-end 2026. The company is assessing facilities in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Beaumont, Texas; and Joliet, Illinois; as well as at sites in Belgium, the Netherlands, Singapore and Canada.
Mitsui, CF Industries Select Thyssenkrupp Uhde for Blue Ammonia Facility
Thyssenkrupp Uhde has been selected as technology provider for a new ‘Blue Ammonia’ plant in the United States by Mitsui and CF Industries.
(Source: Thyssenkrupp Uhde)
December 19 – Thyssenkrupp Uhde has been selected as technology provider for a new ‘Blue Ammonia’ plant in the United States by Mitsui & Co. (Mitsui) and CF Industries Holdings (CF). The new greenfield facility will produce blue ammonia by leveraging carbon capture and sequestration processes to reduce carbon emissions by more than 60 % compared to conventional ammonia.
As a first step, Thyssenkrupp Uhde will conduct a front-end engineering and design (Feed) study for the proposed joint venture of CF and Mitsui. The aim is to construct an export-oriented greenfield blue ammonia facility in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, USA. Demand for blue ammonia is expected to grow significantly as a decarbonized energy source, both for its hydrogen content and as a fuel or feedstock itself.
CF and Mitsui had previously signed a joint development agreement that provides the framework for the Feed study. In addition, CF Industries acquired land during the third quarter of 2022 on the west bank of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on which the proposed facility would be constructed should the companies agree to move forward.
CF Industries and Mitsui expect to make a final investment decision on the proposed facility in the second half of 2023. Construction and commissioning of a new world-scale capacity ammonia plant typically takes approximately 4 years.
Clariant to Invest 86-Million-Dollars for Expanding Care Chemicals Facility
The new plant’s first line is due to open mid-2023 with the second line coming on stream during 2024.
(Source: Clariant)
December 19 – Clariant is set to expand its Care Chemicals facility in Daya Bay, Huizhou, China, to boost its support for pharmaceutical, personal care, home care, and industrial application customers.
The 86-million-dollar (CHF 80 million) investment will see capacity increases for existing products as well as the introduction of new products by the end of 2024. By successfully obtaining the drug GMP certificate, the Clariant Daya Bay manufacturing site has become the first API manufacturer in China with certified polyethylene glycol Polyglykol 3350. The site will also become a new global hub for Clariant’s healthcare business support, speeding up the supply of high-quality ingredients for life-changing medicines.
“The successful production and registration of the pharmaceutical grade of PEGs are great examples of how resilient and dedicated Clariant is to growing in our strategic dedicated business segment and supporting our customers,” said Zhigang Miao, Head of Industrial Applications, Clariant Care Chemical.
Clariant will also expand existing production capacity for its Ethylene Oxide Derivatives (EODs) and a broader chemical portfolio at Daya Bay. As a result, it will step up its production of more sustainable ingredients that can help customers advance their environmental targets and create differentiated, more sustainable solutions to meet sector demands. The Ecotain-labelled, plant-based Hostapon mild surfactant for example supports Personal Care brands and formulators in developing milder, cleaner beauty in applications such as solid beauty bars, body washes and cream-type shampoos.
“The many market segments we serve from Daya Bay are evolving to reflect changing sustainability targets and end-product performance needs, and we want to bring our own innovation and expertise closer to these customers to help drive their developments forward,” comments Christian Vang, Head of Clariant Care Chemicals. “Daya Bay was home to Clariant’s first ethoxylation plant in Asia and, with these investments, we will advance this location to an integrated Multi-Purpose Plant / Ethylene Oxide Derivatives site, with good proximity to key manufacturing locations. This underlines our commitment to bringing greater chemistry to the region to support our customers’ success.”
The investment by the Care Chemicals Business to enhance the Chinese ethoxylation plant follows several recent investments by Clariant at Daya Bay. In October 2022, Clariant announced it is adding a second production line at its future Additives plant for halogen-free flame retardants, currently being constructed at the site. The new plant’s first line is due to open mid-2023 with the second line coming on stream during 2024.
Sulzer Offers Technologies for World’s First Commercial Scale E-Methanol Plant
European Energy is applying an innovative process to convert renewable electricity into e-methanol.
(Source: Robert Wengler)
December 20 – The innovative facility in Kassø, Aabenraa, Denmark will produce 32’000 metric tonnes of carbon neutral fuels per year, helping to decarbonize the heavy transportation sector. As a lightweight fuel produced from solar and wind, e-methanol enables the effective storage and transport of renewable energy, helping to solve two of the key challenges facing renewable energy sources.
European Energy is applying an innovative process to convert renewable electricity into e-methanol. The plant in Kassø, Denmark, will be supplied with power from the adjacent 300 MW solar park owned by European Energy and it represents the first step in bringing this e-fuel to market at scale.
As an energy-dense and lightweight fuel, e-methanol provides a carbon-neutral alternative that replicates the properties of traditional fuels, enabling the decarbonization of heavy transportation methods like shipping. E-methanol also provides solution to the two main barriers preventing the wide-scale adoption of renewable energy – how to store the energy for late use and how to transport it to the point of need.
Sulzer Chemtech will deliver two distillation units with a customized design to European Energy’s ground-breaking facility. This key technology will enable the production of e-methanol of extremely high purity for use in combustion engines and as a chemical feedstock. Half of the total plant output, 16’000 metric tonnes per annum, will be delivered to A. P. Moller – Maersk to fuel the company’s first container ship capable of operating on green methanol.
Topsoe Technology Selected for Low Carbon Ammonia Project
On the West Bank of the Mississippi River in Louisiana’s Ascension Parish, Ace will be sited on a prime 1,700-acre location near existing infrastructure, with direct access to the Mississippi River.
(Source: Haldor Topsoe)
December 20 – Topsoe has been chosen as technology provider to Ascension Clean Energy (Ace), an industrial scale low carbon hydrogen-ammonia joint venture project by Clean Hydrogen Works (CHW), Denbury Carbon Solutions and Hafnia.
To deliver the 7.2 million metric tons of clean ammonia annually, Ace will use Topsoe’s integrated hydrogen and ammonia solutions, including state-of-the-art Syncor autothermal reforming (ATR) technology. This industry-leading technology is targeting a reduction of up to 98 percent of all CO2, which is contracted to be permanently sequestered by Denbury Carbon Solutions.
Peter Vang Christensen, Senior Vice President Technology, Topsoe, said: “Low carbon solutions are vital if we are to succeed with the energy transition, and this project will have a positive impact in leading the way for large scale decarbonization of our global energy infrastructure. We are delighted to have been selected to support this project that will showcase not only Topsoe’s world leading technology, but also Ace’s role in the transition to decarbonized fuels.”
On the West Bank of the Mississippi River in Louisiana’s Ascension Parish, Ace will be sited on a prime 1,700-acre location near existing infrastructure, with direct access to the Mississippi River. The project is expected to create 350 permanent, full-time jobs.
A final investment decision regarding Ace is expected in 2024.
Ørsted to Develop Europe’s Largest Green Fuel Production Facility
About 50,000 tons of e-methanol can fuel one large ocean going vessel or several ferries.
(Source: Pixabay)
December 21 – Ørsted has taken the final investment decision to build Europe’s largest production facility, Flagship One, for green fuel for the shipping industry. Topsoe will provide Engineering, Procurement and Fabrication (EPF) for the project’s e-methanol technology.
The project will be built in Örnsköldsvik in Northern Sweden and is expected to be in operation in 2025. It is expected to produce approximately 50,000 tons per year of e-methanol from renewable energy and biogenic CO2. About 50,000 tons of e-methanol can fuel one large ocean going vessel or several ferries.
Anders Nordstrøm, COO at Ørsted P2X, said: “Ørsted is determined to lead the green transformation of society, and that’s exactly what we’re doing by constructing a project like Flagship One. We believe that e-methanol will play a key role in bringing down the carbon emissions from the maritime industry, and alongside key partners like Topsoe, we’re working hard to make that vision come true.”
According to IEA’s Net Zero-scenario for 2050, the shipping industry needs to reduce its emissions by almost 15 % from 2021 to 2030. The agency points toward both technological innovation, supportive policies, and collaboration across the value chain to develop and deploy low-carbon fuels in the industry.
Flagship One is a project that does just that. The project will capture biogenic carbon dioxide (CCU) and combine this with hydrogen made from renewable electricity and water, to produce renewable methanol, or e-methanol. This versatile, liquid fuel is carbon neutral and easy to store, transport and use, and the production from Flagship One will go to the marine sector.
Topsoe’s expertise within both process technology and catalysts will ensure high efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In its Engineering, Procurement & Fabrication scope (EPF), Topsoe will supply its e-methanol technology, the so-called e-methanol Loop, as well as pre-assembled modules for the facility and free-standing equipment such as the methanol reactor and distillation columns.