Trafigura purchased 23,000 tonnes of low-carbon ammonia and loaded the cargo on 25 September, acting as the middleman between the two companies.

Certified under the Verified Ammonia Carbon Intensity (VACI) programme, the ammonia will be used to make low-carbon caprolactam – a key chemical used in plastics and ammonium sulphate.

“By integrating certified low-carbon feedstocks into our production of caprolactam/ammonium sulphate and downstream into PA6, we are showing our commitment to low-carbon materials and helping our customers meet their environmental goals,” explained Envalior’s Thorsten Bredemann.

The blue ammonia was shipped from the CF Industries Donaldsonville complex in Louisiana, the US, which is the central hub of their global operations.

In July, the firm started up its Donaldsonville carbon dioxide dehydration and compression facility to capture and permanently store up to two million tonnes of CO2 annually.

The facility can produce up to 1.9 million tonnes of lower-carbon ammonia per year, with ExxonMobil handling carbon storage.

The shipment to Belgium represents that firm’s first low-carbon ammonia delivery and its second overall, following a sale to a customer in Africa earlier this year.

CF isn’t just selling into Europe for market share; the company is leveraging its Louisiana complex to generate 45Q tax credits, potentially worth up to $160m per year in subsidies alone.

During its H1 2025 results, CF CEO Tony Will said, “We are realising the financial benefits of investing in low-carbon ammonia production through both 45Q tax credit generation and the premium that these low-carbon tons command in the global marketplace.”