Yara and Air Products announced advanced negotiations to partner on low-emission ammonia projects. Yara has matured a project portfolio for potential investment in cost competitive US ammonia to diversify its energy position and increase competitiveness of its European nitrate production, enabling robust returns. As emphasized in recent quarter releases, Yara will execute potential US projects in line with its capital allocation policy and the potential partnership with Air Products would be consistent with this.
Yara has indicated an average capex level of approximately 1.2 billion (real) throughout the cycle, as well as an annual maintenance capex level between 700-850 million USD. During project execution 2026-2030 and up until the closing would take place, Yara will be restrictive on other growth projects, maintaining strict capital discipline and enabling shareholder distributions. A final investment decision is targeted mid-2026.
Air Products and Yara International ASA are working to combine Air Products' industrial gas capabilities and low-emission hydrogen with Yara's ammonia production and distribution network: Louisiana Clean Energy Complex: Air Products is developing the world's largest low-carbon energy complex in the state of Louisiana. The complex is designed to produce >750 million standard cubic feet per day of low-carbon hydrogen, capturing 95 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO\2\) generated during normal operation. Air Products is the project developer and once the ammonia plant has achieved agreed upon performance levels, Yara would acquire the ammonia production, storage and shipping facilities for approximately 25 % of the total project cost (estimated between $8-9 billion).
Yara would assume responsibility for related operations and integrate the entire ammonia output into its global distribution network. Air Products would own and operate the industrial gases production, where approximately 80% of the low-carbon hydrogen would be supplied to Yara under a 25-year long-term offtake agreement to produce 2.8 million tonnes of low-carbon ammonia per year. The remaining hydrogen would be supplied to Air Products' customers in the U.S. Gulf Coast via Air Products' 700-mile hydrogen pipeline system.
About five million tonnes per year of high purity CO\2\ captured by the Air Products facility would be sequestered by a third party under a long-term agreement to be announced later. Final investment decisions by both companies are targeted by mid-2026, and project completion is expected by 2030. NEOM Green Hydrogen Project: The NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia is more than 90 percent complete and is expected to start commercial production in 2027.
Air Products is the sole offtaker of up to 1.2 million tonnes per year of renewable ammonia. Air Products and Yara anticipate entering into a marketing and distribution agreement where Yara would commercialize, on a commission basis, the ammonia not sold by Air Products as renewable hydrogen in Europe. The model maximizes value for both companies and enables ammonia from the world's first large-scale renewable ammonia plant to be delivered worldwide by Yara's unparalleled shipping fleet.
The marketing and distribution agreement is targeted to be completed during the first half of 2026. Leveraging complementary strengths to drive value creation in low-emission ammonia.
