SABIC AN makes major sustainability stride with low-carbon urea shipment to New Zealand

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company’s (SABIC AN) first ever global shipment of low-carbon urea arrived in Timaru, New Zealand, on July 21, marking a significant step in the company’s continuing efforts towards SABIC’s net zero commitment.

On receiving the 2,700-ton consignment of urea, Ravensdown, a New Zealand-farmer owned agricultural co-operative company, has made a significant step in its transition to a low carbon future.

The innovative manufacturing solution for low carbon urea was recently recognized by the prestigious Edison Awards as a Gold Award winner under the Food and Agriculture Advancements "Soil & Crop" category.

Saudi Arabia is already a pioneer in the production and export of clean hydrogen and derivatives such as ammonia, and has partnered with New Zealand on this innovative venture as part of its ambitious strategy to be the world’s leading clean hydrogen hub. The Kingdom is seeking to forge partnerships with entities from all over the world to help them meet their clean energy targets.

Abdulrahman Shamsaddin, CEO, SABIC AN, said, “Sustainability is integrated into our strategy, enabling us to deliver responsible business and generate sustainable growth. We are constantly developing solutions empowering our customers to achieve their own sustainability ambitions. Our collaboration with Ravensdown is a major step in this direction and a strong indicator of SABIC’s overall commitment to delivering low-carbon solutions to customers and helping them achieve their net-zero targets.”

Garry Diack, CEO, Ravensdown, commented, “This collaboration with SABIC AN is key to ensuring we meet our commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030.As pressure mounts for New Zealand farmers to lower greenhouse gas emissions from behind the farm gate, it is important we pull our weight across all facets of our supply chain too.SABIC AN’s innovative manufacturing techniques for urea production have the potential to be game changing for the global fertilizer industry. We are excited to continue our valued collaboration with a company that has environmental goals and aspirations that are very aligned to our own.”

SABIC AN produced the urea using ammonia that has a low-carbon footprint and recently achieved the world's first independent certification for low carbon ammonia production. The third-party certification was made by TÜV Rheinland, a leading independent testing, inspection, and certification agency. To be certified, a significant part of the CO2 associated with the manufacturing process needs to be captured and utilized in downstream applications.