The Beaumont New Ammonia (BNA) facility in southeast Texas has produced its first ammonia, marking a key milestone as the project completes systems testing and enters the initial phase of operations commissioning.

 

The achievement clears the way for commercial ammonia production, which is expected to begin in early 2026 following the handover of the facility from OCI Global to Woodside Energy. Production of lower-carbon ammonia is targeted for the second half of 2026.

 

Global demand for lower-carbon ammonia continues to gather momentum, driven by customers in Europe and Asia seeking greater energy security and progress toward decarbonisation goals. Woodside has already secured agreements with major international customers to supply significant volumes of conventional ammonia from the BNA facility.

 

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026 and run through the end of the year, with contracts linked to prevailing market prices. Further supply agreements are under development to match the facility’s expected output, including future volumes of lower-carbon ammonia.

 

Woodside Vice President Beaumont New Ammonia Kellyanne Lochan said: “We are pleased with the results of the commissioning and systems testing completed to date. These outcomes confirm the facility’s production readiness and our ability to move toward commercial start-up following handover. This milestone also reflects the disciplined work of both the OCI and Woodside teams.”

 

Ahead of handover, the project will undergo additional verification, performance testing and operational readiness checks. Both OCI and Woodside say their focus remains on ensuring the facility enters full operations safely, efficiently and in line with regulatory and contractual requirements.

 

With a production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes per annum, BNA is designed to support rising demand for ammonia, lower-carbon ammonia and hydrogen-adjacent products. Once fully operational, the facility has the potential to nearly double US ammonia exports, boosting regional economic growth and reinforcing America’s energy leadership.