Verano Energy unveils green H2, ammonia giga-project in Peru

Latin America-focused renewables company Verano Energy announced on Monday that it has submitted a detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA-d) for a giga-scale clean energy project in the Arequipa region, Peru, seeking to build green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities powered by a 5,850-MWp solar generation complex.

Dubbed Horizonte de Verano, the project will unfold in five phases, gradually working towards producing 1.65 million tonnes of green ammonia annually when fully operational. The initial phase will boast a 1,500-MWp solar farm supporting an annual output of over 420,000 tonnes of ammonia, according to Verano Energy.

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The project will also involve construction of a desalination plant to process seawater on-site and feed that water to the electrolysis facility for hydrogen production. Several structures will be located in the arid district of Majes, while the desalination plant, a terminal, and pipelines will be built on the coast in the Quilca district. Once hydrogen is processed into ammonia, the finished product will be transported through a 26-kilometre (16.2 miles) pipeline to the coastal storage and distribution facility, Verano Energy said.

"Thanks to the region’s world-leading solar radiation produced during the day and wind energy purchased from the grid at night, we will transform seawater into a 100% renewable and zero-carbon energy source," commented Erick Rojo, the project director.

With all necessary permits expected by mid-2025, Horizonte de Verano is gearing up for the launch of the first phase in mid-2027. The final phase is expected to start operation in early 2032.