PtX Skills Development in Tunisia

Challenges: knowledge gaps in Power-to-X technology

Groupe Chimique Tunisien produces an array of different phosphate and nitrogenous fertilizers. Due to lacking domestic ammonia production, the company relies completely on imports for the manufacturing of nitrogenous fertilizer brands. Leveraging on the vast regenerative energy production potentials in the country, the strategic aim of the company is to establish its own renewable ammonia synthesis. However, a previous assessment conducted in partnership with UNIDO identified that knowledge- and skills gaps along the entire synthesis process chain are significant impediment in rolling out this technology. 

Objectives: providing holistic know-how

Initiated by the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, UNIDO and GIZ organized a 27-hour know-how training workshop  to address skills development, covering 13 topics across technical, financing, regulatory framework dimensions as well as case studies. The technical topics covered the entire technology- and value chain of renewable ammonia production: Energy storage, Water desalination, Management of solar power plants, electrolyzers, Hydrogen storage, Hydrogen compressors, Management of hydrogen plant construction, Maintenance of hydrogen production plants, Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis, Air separation.

Subject matter experts from Italy, Austria, Germany, Tunisia and Egypt cooperated in the realization of this capacity building workshop.

Dr. Lénárd-István Csepei held lectures in the following modules:

• Management of renewable hydrogen plant construction; subtopic: From strategic conceptualization to pre-FEED
• Financing of pilot projects and production assets
• Haber-Bosch Ammonia synthesis
• Air Separation Unit
• Case study about renewable ammonia pilot plants

After the workshop, Dr. Csepei summarized the content of all the modules in a report. This report guides the employees to recall and utilize the knowhow more efficiently, as well as provides recommendations for further actions in the project development.

Impact: derisking plant operation

Groupe Chimique Tunisien delegated 20 employees serving in various roles such as directors, heads of departments, managers and engineers to attend this skills development workshop. This training was crucial for the expanding the knowhow of the employees who were finalizing the technical and bankability documentation for a renewable ammonia pilot project. On the other hand, the training also aimed to provide the knowhow in order to de-risk on short term the operation of a renewable ammonia pilot plant, and on longer term the operation of a commercial production asset.