RWE and VTG will jointly develop a logistics concept for supplying customers. This will include exploring delivery routes and determining the necessary filling and transport capacities. Rail transport is advantageous for the industry as it does not require a connection to a pipeline or an inland port.
“Green ammonia is key in the energy transition because it can be used to decarbonise many industrial processes. In the future, Germany will import large quantities of ammonia, for example via the terminal planned by RWE in Brunsbüttel. From there, the molecules will be distributed directly to industrial customers. VTG has many years of experience in transporting ammonia by tank wagon. That’s why RWE and VTG are also jointly looking at distribution by rail,” says Ulf Kerstin, CCO of RWE Supply & Trading.
Sven Wellbrock, Chief Operating Officer Europe and Chief Safety Officer of VTG, adds: "In addition to its great importance as a basic material for industry, ammonia will also play an important role in securing energy supplies in the coming decades. It is part of VTG's New Energies strategy, which aims to provide our customers with the best possible support in the transition to sustainable industrial processes. Together with RWE, we want to show that large quantities of ammonia can already be supplied by rail in the short term in a low-emission and competitive manner."
To meet the demands of industrial decarbonisation, Germany will need access to green materials from other parts of the world in addition to its own hydrogen production. In this context, RWE is also planning a green import terminal for ammonia in Brunsbüttel. From 2026, around 300,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year will be landed here.
