The Beaumont New Ammonia facility in Texas has started ammonia production.
OCI Global will now progress the remaining operational preparedness and testing requirements ahead of handover to Woodside Energy, which is expected in early 2026. OCI sold its equity interests in the project to Woodside for $2.35bn in August 2024.
OCI will continue to manage the commissioning and start-up of the facility until the project is fully staffed and operational, at which point it will handover to Woodside.
Blue ammonia production, incorporating carbon capture and storage technology, is targeted to start in the second half of 2026.
The facility, a collaboration between OCI and Linde, is targeting 1.1 million metric tonnes per annum of blue ammonia in its first phase.
The ammonia will be used in various hard-to-abate sectors such as agriculture, power generation and marine fuels, supplying customers in Europe and Asia seeking decarbonisation solutions.
OCI Global and UAE engineering and construction firm Orascom Construction are to pursue a potential merger, it was announced in September, after Orascom Construction listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.