Qatar Says it Will Build World's Biggest Blue Ammonia Plant

Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said the plant would cost $1.2 billion. QNA
Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said the plant would cost $1.2 billion. QNA
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Qatar Says it Will Build World's Biggest Blue Ammonia Plant

Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said the plant would cost $1.2 billion. QNA
Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said the plant would cost $1.2 billion. QNA

Qatar announced Wednesday that it will build the world's biggest plant making blue ammonia -- one of the new fuels being touted as a cleaner energy source.

Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said the plant would cost $1.2 billion and start production in early 2026.

State-owned Qatar Energy, a firm that is making huge profits from liquefied natural gas, said the plant would produce 1.2 million tons of ammonia a year "making it the world's largest such facility".

"We see increasing interest in using ammonia as fuel, driven by the need to reduce CO2 emissions in the energy ecosystem," said al-Kaabi, who is also Qatar Energy's CEO.

"Potential customers have expressed a desire for low-carbon fuels -- including blue ammonia -- and we have reacted in a pragmatic and meaningful manner and with scale," he added, according to AFP.

Ammonia is already a huge part of the global fertilizer industry. CO2 is captured and stored as part of the production of blue ammonia.

The foul-smelling chemical is being touted by gas-producing nations such as Qatar as an alternative to hydrogen. Due to its high hydrogen content, it can also be used to store or transport the chemical.

Japan is already looking into using ammonia to power former coal fired electricity generators.



Bessent Says There Are ‘No Guarantees’ There Will Not Be a US Recession

 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks out of the West Wing to do a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks out of the West Wing to do a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
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Bessent Says There Are ‘No Guarantees’ There Will Not Be a US Recession

 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks out of the West Wing to do a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (AFP)
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks out of the West Wing to do a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (AFP)

There are "no guarantees" there will not be a recession in the United States, although there could be an adjustment, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview that aired on Sunday.

But Bessent, speaking to NBC's "Meet the Press," ruled out the chance of a financial crisis.

US stock markets closed down sharply last week amid mounting uncertainties arising from President Donald Trump's frequently shifting policies, including tariff threats against the biggest US trading partners.

Asked whether he could guarantee there would be no recession while Trump was in power, Bessent replied: "There are no guarantees. Who would have predicted COVID?"

Bessent said he was putting in robust policies that would be durable, saying the country needs to be weaned off what he called massive government spending.

Asked whether an adjustment could lead to a recession, Bessent said, "There is no reason that it has to."

Bessent dismissed concerns about recent stock market falls, saying corrections were healthy and that markets "will do great" if the administration puts into place good tax policy, deregulation and energy security.

"We are going to have a transition, and we are not going to have a crisis," he said.