An ammonia factory at Mula or at Sundsmarka in Hemnes could cause a disaster if a large release of ammonia were to occur.
This printer Sveinulf Vågenewho is an advisor at Motvind Norge.
The power drain in Svelgen
We have previously recorded The power drain in Svelgen where an Australian giant promises green jobs in a municipality with a declining population, while the cornerstone company fears expensive electricity and a gloomy outlook. The Australian company is Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) which will also build two ammonia factories in Hemnes municipality in Nordland.
The scales write:
The ammonia will be made from “green” hydrogen which is combined with nitrogen. Production of green hydrogen is extremely energy-intensive. When you use ammonia for fuel in ships, you get back a total of only 17% of the energy you use to make it. Ammonia as a fuel is therefore a waste of energy the likes of which we have hardly seen. The plan is that large areas of Norwegian mountain nature will be sacrificed to produce wind power for this waste.
A gamble with life and health
We have pointed out the insanity of this extravagance before, but Vågene also brings up another side to these wild plans:
Explosive hydrogen
Green hydrogen is to be produced by electrolysis at the ammonia factory. Hydrogen has three times the energy content of petrol. But it is especially the high burning rate (six times methane gas) that makes hydrogen particularly explosive and dangerous.
Hydrogen is the smallest element that exists and permeates most materials. It is therefore very difficult to handle. The hydrogen explosion at the UNO-X station in Sandvika in 2019 was the result of a leak in which 1.5 kg of hydrogen exploded. The bang was so strong that it was registered at the earthquake station in Lommedalen.
Serious disaster scenariois
Ammonia is a toxic gas that particularly attacks moist surfaces in the body such as mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and throat. Just 0.5% ammonia in the air is fatal. Ammonia is stored in liquid form as a liquid upon cooling or increasing pressure. The insurance company SG Safety describes how gas clouds can spread in the event of a large leak: “Liquid that evaporates will […] forming a cold mist that is heavier than air and settles along the ground. In the event of a leak, gas clouds of ammonia can spread beyond areas depending on wind conditions.”
Both energy policy and security madness
There is no factual reason why ammonia factories should suddenly be built in Norway to produce hydrogen. This is driven by financial giants who see the opportunities to steal billions in green subsidies from “the green shift”. And with the EU’s new renewables directive, we have to expect that any remaining inhibitions will be thrown aside. With such short processing deadlines, impact assessment and consideration of local democracy are swept aside to cover the unrestrained profit interests.
Financial institutions own 54% of the shares in Fortescue Ltd, so the company is attractive to the large investors, writes Yahoo Finance. On the shareholder list we find both Vanguard, State Street and BlackRock. Same old!
