HIVE Hydrogen South Africa (HHSA) has awarded Técnicas Reunidas, a global engineering firm that specialises in designing and constructing large-scale clean fuels plants, the front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for its industrial-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production plant being developed in the Coega Special Economic Zone.
The project targets the production of approximately one million tonnes per annum of green ammonia and will use renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen, which will then be converted into green ammonia for domestic use and international export.
HHSA announced the contract award during the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit 2026 held in Cape Town from 15-16 September. In a press release, the company noted that Técnicas Reunidas was selected to carry out this project “after a long and in-depth period of world-leading EPC proposal evaluations”, which took into account that the Spanish company “brings extensive international experience in the engineering and delivery of large-scale energy, hydrogen, ammonia and complex industrial process facilities”.
The South African company also emphasised that “a key feature of Hive Hydrogen South Africa’s project execution strategy is the intention for the successful ammonia production plant FEED contractor to roll over from FEED into the full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) phase for the green ammonia production plant, subject to the successful completion of FEED, achievement of the required technical and commercial outcomes, project approvals, financing and Final Investment Decision”. According to HHSA, the projected investment for the green ammonia production plant will reach $1.8 billion.
Scope of work
Under the FEED contract, Técnicas Reunidas will carry out hydrogen production electrolysers, air separation units, and the green ammonia production loop; a desalination plant; storage systems with a capacity of over 100,000 metric tons; pipelines to the port of Ngqura; and auxiliary facilities.
Gonzalo Pardo, commercial director of services at Técnicas Reunidas, said, “We are delighted to have been selected by Hive for this world-leading decarbonisation project. Leveraging our deep technology expertise and end-to-end EPC vision, we look forward to delivering a successful FEED and contributing to Coega’s role as a benchmark for Africa’s sustainable industrial growth. Furthermore, this award is perfectly aligned with the strong focus on services projects that Técnicas Reunidas is currently implementing as part of its Salta strategic plan.”
John Nutt, Hive’s technical director, added, “Técnicas Reunidas’ proposal was outstanding in all respects. We are looking forward to them adding significant value and improving further on the tremendous work that has already gone into the development of the ammonia production plant to date, which will make it the most efficient, large-scale green hydrogen and green ammonia project. Our aim remains to produce the lowest-cost green ammonia globally.”
Técnicas Reunidas has carried out more than 2,600 projects in over 70 countries during its 66-year history. The company is at the forefront of industrial decarbonisation and the circular economy, combining its engineering capabilities with a strong presence in shaping the value chains for hydrogen and its derivatives, sustainable fuels, and carbon management.
Técnicas Reunidas is headquartered in Spain and employs approximately 14,000 staff, most of whom are highly qualified engineers.
