The Courant Project is a green hydrogen and green ammonia production plant. The project is being developed in Quebec, Canada.
The plant is being developed by Hy2gen Canada, a Canada-based subsidiary of Hy2gen (a global green hydrogen producer), in collaboration with the Baie-Comeau community.
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The feasibility study of the project has been concluded successfully in October 2023. Courant was awarded a renewable power supply contract from Quebec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) in June 2024.
This contract paves the way for Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) and Final Investment Decision (FID).
The project is planned to enter the construction phase in the second half of 2026 and the first green ammonia from the facility is scheduled for 2029.
Once operational, the project will support the decarbonisation of Quebec, economic development and creation of jobs in Baie-Comeau by creating an industrial ecosystem, manufacture and use renewable ammonia within the province, and elevate the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of northern Quebec.
Courant Project Location
The Courant Project is being developed in Baie-Comeau in northern Quebec.
The project location has port facilities with electrical supply infrastructure and a readied industrial park with amenities and facilities.
The project site is connected with short transport routes which will be used to transport green ammonia to the off-takers.
Courant Project Details
The Courant Project will consist of an electrolyser, an air separation plant, a renewable power supply for operations, and transport or shipment of the final product.
As per the renewable power supply contract, the project will receive electricity for operations by Hydro-Québec from hydroelectric-based power grid.
The renewable electricity will allow for a constant operation of the plant. The process of electrolysis will be carried out in an electrolyser. The electrolyser will have a capacity of 300 Megawatt (MW).
Through electrolysis, water will be broken down into green hydrogen and oxygen. The air separation plant will produce nitrogen for the operations of the project.
The produced green hydrogen will be converted into green ammonia through nitrogen produced from the project site.
The Courant project will produce 237,000 tonnes of green ammonia every year. The fully climate-neutral production will have a planned energy requirement of 2.5-Terawatt Hour (TWh) per year.
The produced ammonia will be transported or shipped to the off-takers.
Courant Project Contractor
In April 2023, Hy2gen awarded a Preliminary FEED (Pre-FEED) contract for the Courant Project to Technip Energies.
The Pre-FEED studies for the project commenced at the beginning of March 2023. The contract work was completed before the end of 2023.
The Pre-FEED studies provided insights into the configuration of the plant technologies and units and delivered information on the total expected capital required for the project.
The results of the studies provided insights about the operating costs, expected start of the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and steps for stakeholder management.
The Pre-FEED results showed Hy2gen and Technip Energies the steps needed to configure their downstream plants.
About Green Ammonia
Green ammonia is an important and emerging resource amid the global shift towards sustainable energy and industrial practices.
It provides a zero-carbon alternative to the usual ammonia production methods.
Ammonia is produced by the Haber-Bosch Process whereas renewable ammonia is produced via water electrolysis.
Green ammonia has the potential to act as an energy carrier. This is one of its key advantages as it can be effectively stored and transported like green hydrogen. This makes it suitable for long-distance and intercontinental energy transport.
It can also be used directly as a fuel in fuel cells and specific engine types. It can undergo cracking producing nitrogen and green hydrogen.
Green ammonia can decarbonise the agriculture sector by reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural practices.
Sustainable fuels could be produced using green ammonia and this would result in reduced imports and dependency on fossil fuels.
