Baker Hughes Supports Clean Ammonia Production with Compression, Storage Solutions

Baker Hughes signed a long-term agreement with WVR to supply technology services and solutions for ammonia fertilizer production, including compression systems, injection well construction, and testing and monitoring services for CO₂ geological sequestration. WVR’s ammonia project will repower and reconfigure an existing gasification plant to produce low-cost fertilizer.

“This collaboration with Baker Hughes enables us to leverage its technology and expertise to achieve our project goals,” said Dan Williams, Chief Operating Officer at WVR. "With safety as our top priority, we have chosen Baker Hughes, a leader in carbon capture and storage technology with a proven track record. Its experience and commitment to industry best practices ensure that our project will meet and exceed safety standards. We are confident this collaboration will drive innovation and secure a sustainable future for our community."

The ammonia fertilizer plant will serve the U.S. Corn Belt with a sustainable supply of domestic fertilizer produced through a zero-carbon-capable process, capturing 1.65 million tons of CO₂ per year. Facility construction and operation will support the local economy by employing hundreds of construction workers and operations personnel.

Wabash Valley Generation Station; Image Credits: Ammonia Energy Association

“We are excited for this milestone with WVR to advance geological carbon capture and storage technology in the United States,” said Judit Prieto, Senior Vice President for Enterprise Customer Solutions at Baker Hughes. “This agreement underscores Baker Hughes’ strategic commitment to new energy ventures that leverage our technical excellence and safety standards through decades of experience.”

In January 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted WVR two Class VI permits to construct CO₂ injection wells in Indiana. These Class VI permits are the first issued by the EPA since 2014.

In April, Worley submitted an order to Baker Hughes for gas technology equipment for the third phase of Saudi Arabia’s Master Gas System project that includes a new 4,000-km pipeline. Baker Hughes will deliver 17 pipeline centrifugal compressors driven by aeroderivative gas turbines as part of this award, which was booked in Q1 2024.

Saudi Arabia’s new 4,000 km pipeline will assist in the country’s energy transition and is expected to increase domestic gas distribution and contribute to the reduction of oil consumption and carbon emissions. Previously, Baker Hughes supplied 18 gas turbine-driven centrifugal compressors for Phase 1 and 2 of the Master Gas System projects.

In addition to supplying gas equipment for Aramco’s project, Baker Hughes is investing in the expansion of its manufacturing site in Modon, Saudi Arabia. The expansion includes doubling the capacity of its workforce and enabling the site to support the delivery of projects in the Kingdom with localized testing and packaging solutions.

Earlier that month, Black & Veatch submitted an equipment order to Baker Hughes to supply electric-driven liquefaction technologies for its Cedar LNG project in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada. Booked in Q1 2024, Baker Hughes will supply 12 pieces of turbomachinery equipment: four electric-driven main refrigeration compressors, two electric-driven boil-off gas compressors, and six centrifugal pumps.

Cedar LNG is powered by renewable electricity from BC Hydro and will have the capacity to export 3 million tons of LNG per year. It also received its first permit from the B.C. Energy Regulator for an approximately 8.5 km pipeline that will connect the project to the Coastal GasLink pipeline.