Woodside piles into clean ammonia with $2.35b OCI deal

Australian energy firm claims early-mover advantage as it agrees to buy major project on US Gulf Coast from Dutch fertilisers group OCI

Australia-based Woodside Energy is set to break into the emerging market for low carbon ammonia after agreeing a $2.35b deal to buy OCI’s large-scale production project at Beaumont, Texas—the largest project of its type in the US. Phase one of the project is already under construction and is expected to start production of unabated ammonia in 2025, follow by low-carbon in early 2026, with a capacity of 1.1m t/yr. The project’s design also includes scope for a second phase, with a capacity of 1.1mt/yr at a projected capital of $1–1.4b. Woodside said it will target “FID-readiness” for Phase 2 in 2026. Clean ammonia production from both phases of the project could achieve over 60% of Woodside’s