Volta green ammonia project obtains unanimous environmental approval

The “Volta Project – Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Plant” was approved by the Environmental Assessment Commission (COEVA) in Antofagasta Region, becoming the first industrial-scale green ammonia plant to procure its environmental authorization.

Mejillones Ammonia Energy (MAE), founded by American businessman James Calaway, invested US$2.5 billion in this development with unanimous approval from all 11 COEVA members, according to the news outlet Ex-Ante.

A favorable Consolidated Environmental Assessment Report from the Environmental Assessment Service sustained the approval. The environmental permitting process began in February 2024 and concluded on December 12 of this year, with legal counsel provided by VGC Abogados.

Gonzalo Moyano, MAE’s General Manager, appreciated the regional authorities’ support: “COEVA’s unanimous decision reaffirms the technical and environmental rigor with which we developed the Volta project.”

“This initiative not only promotes a new strategic industry for Chile, but will also make a concrete contribution to the country’s decarbonization and the sustainable development of Mejillones. We are proud to lead this progress and are committed to making Volta a national and international benchmark, stated.

The development will be powered by a photovoltaic solar plant through a 9.5 km power transmission line. Located 3 km from the coast and 8 km from downtown Mejillones, while the photovoltaic segment will be 8 km south of the city.

The green ammonia product will be transported via pipeline to one of the terminals in the port area of ​​Mejillones. The Volta Project is expected to have a useful life of 50 years, with a nominal annual ammonia production of 620,000 tons.

Water Reuse
For water supply, the project will reuse all of Mejillones’ wastewater, currently discharged into the sea after primary treatment, thus contributing to the bay’s environmental quality. Additionally, the operation will utilize desalinated water from existing plants that have already received environmental approval.

MAE estimates the Volta Project will create 1,700 jobs during its construction phase, and 500 direct and indirect jobs are projected once the plant is operational.

Furthermore, at full capacity, the plant will prevent emissions of more than 1 million tons of CO₂ per year. That is equivalent to the pollution generated by more than 200,000 internal combustion engine vehicles annually.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, and commercial production is expected to commence around 2029.