context: This world-first project promises a major step forward for industrial decarbonisation within the PRC's massive and hard-to-abate petrochemicals sector. Utilising abundant renewable energy to produce hydrogen and ammonia separate from the national grid could also provide a model for decarbonisation in countries without stable grid infrastructure.
Envision Energy launched the first phase of its green hydrogen-ammonia project in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, on 8 July, marking the PRC’s entry into large-scale commercial operation of green ammonia. With an initial capacity of 320,000 tonnes annually and a planned total of 1.52 million tonnes, the project is the largest integrated green hydrogen-ammonia facility in the world. It leverages wind and solar power to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis, then combines it with nitrogen from air separation to synthesise ammonia.
The project’s main innovation is in creating a self-contained renewable power system, according to Zhang Jian Envision chief engineer. Unlike conventional power consumers, the facility actively regulates power consumption to stabilise grid fluctuations, acting as both user and stabiliser. The project’s electrolysers can respond within five minutes to changes in wind or solar output, enabling real-time load adjustments. We don't just sell green ammonia, but the whole system for producing it, Zhang added.
Supported by 1.43 GW of wind and solar generation and 680 MWh of energy storage, it produces ammonia independently from the national grid. This is a breakthrough in integrating intermittent renewable energy with the demanding stability requirements of chemical production. Advanced forecasting using millimetre-wave radar and cloud tracking allows the system to predict renewable output and preemptively adjust downstream operations.
The Chifeng project also demonstrates circular resource use, sourcing water from treated urban wastewater and ensuring a fully green production chain. The economic model avoids overbuilding costly storage, instead using predictive algorithms to balance safety and cost-effectiveness.
Chifeng’s location makes it a strategic hub for renewable-based chemical exports. Local government officials confirmed pipeline planning for large-scale hydrogen-ammonia transport. The city has already attracted several major green energy projects, with over 10 GW of renewable capacity installed and more than 60 percent of its power from renewables.
International interest is growing. Japan’s Marubeni Corporation has signed a long-term green ammonia procurement agreement with Envision, aiming to supply Japan’s hard-to-decarbonise sectors. Domestically, chemical fertiliser company Shandong Xianglong Group is partnering with Envision to produce and potentially export green fertilisers.
Despite green ammonia being more costly than fossil-based 'grey' ammonia, Envision is positioning its modular, replicable technology as a global solution. Off-grid capability is especially crucial for deployment in regions lacking stable grid infrastructure, such as Africa and the Middle East. Envision’s leadership envisions transforming deserts across the world into renewable-powered hubs for ammonia, methanol and hydrogen production, branding them as 'the new green oilfields' to drive the energy transition.