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Fertiglobe becomes Adnoc’s platform for low-carbon ammonia growth globally

Adnoc completes acquisition of majority stake in Fertiglobe, increasing its shareholding to 86.2%

Adnoc on Tuesday announced the completion of its acquisition of OCI Global’s 50 per cent + 1 shareholding in Fertiglobe plc, increasing its share in the Company to 86.2 per cent, with 13.8 per cent remaining in free float on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

Fertiglobe will become the platform for Adnoc’s growth in fertilizer and low-carbon ammonia. To deliver value accretive and disciplined growth for Fertiglobe, Adnoc will transfer its stakes in existing and future low-carbon ammonia projects to Fertiglobe at cost and when ready for startup, creating a world-class growth platform for low-carbon ammonia as a key energy transition fuel. This includes its two lower carbon ammonia projects in Abu Dhabi and other projects in its global portfolio. On a consolidated basis, the two projects in Abu Dhabi would add ~2 mtpa, more than doubling Fertiglobe’s current merchant ammonia capacity of 1.6 mtpa and increasing its total sellable capacity to 8.6 mtpa of net ammonia and urea combined, in addition to other announced global projects.

Fertiglobe will continue to grow its low-carbon fuels business following its success in the recent H2Global bid where it secured €397 million of renewable ammonia offtake to Europe at a delivered price of €1,000 per tonne until 2033 in a first-of-its kind contract globally. The limited capital expenditure requirements for this project lead to attractive returns for the company.

Robust double-digit IRRs for all future growth projects will be the minimum target for the company as it seeks disciplined and value accretive growth to capitalize on the expected global growth in low-carbon ammonia demand to 24 million tons by 2032, from close to zero now.

Expected market tailwinds from increasing applications for low-carbon ammonia will see demand growth exceed supply growth by an estimated 11 million tonnes up to 2032, according to industry consultants. Adnoc aims to capture 5 per cent of the global low-carbon hydrogen market by 2030 in support of the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy.

The acquisition represents another significant milestone in Adnoc’s ambitious chemicals growth strategy, the expansion of its low-carbon fuels business, and supports its goal to become a top five global chemicals player.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Adnoc managing director and group CEO, said: “Adnoc’s majority shareholding in Fertiglobe marks another milestone in the delivery of our ambitious international chemicals growth strategy and goal to become a top five chemicals player. Fertiglobe is a world-class company, and it will be the vehicle through which Adnoc advances its low-carbon ammonia business, supporting our efforts to enable a just, orderly, and equitable global energy transition. We see significant growth opportunities for Fertiglobe and I am confident that the company will deliver greater value for its shareholders.”

Fertiglobe’s current management team will stay in place, including Ahmed El-Hoshy in his continued role as Fertiglobe’s CEO. El-Hoshy spent 15 years growing OCI’s US and European business in ammonia and methanol via greenfields, brownfields and acquisitions generating significant value for shareholders by leading recent divestments.

El-Hoshy commented: “The successful completion of the Adnoc transaction is a historic milestone for Fertiglobe, reinforcing the positive long-term outlook for our business and unique market position, while elevating our future ambitions. Positioned as the vehicle of Adnoc’s plans to establish a global growth platform for ammonia, Fertiglobe is poised to meet the increasing global demand for low-carbon solutions and bring us closer to a more sustainable future. We look forward to joining Adnoc’s integrated ecosystem and unlocking the full potential of our product portfolio while maximizing shareholder value and maintaining our commitment to balancing disciplined growth with dividend distributions.”

Fertiglobe announced that it will share a detailed value creation and growth strategy during its Capital Markets Day in Q1 2025.

Fertiglobe is the world’s largest seaborne exporter of urea and ammonia combined, exporting to 53 countries with a ~10 per cent collective market share of global trade in these products.