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IHI Yokohama Facility to Initiate World’s First Blue Ammonia-Fueled Gas Turbine Tests in Keeping with Joint Oil Producing Nation and User Efforts to Build Eco-Friendly Ammonia Value Chain

IHI Corporation announced today that a 2,000-kilowatt-class gas turbine at its Yokohama Works will begin co-firing tests on October 26 to employ blue ammonia as a fuel. This initiative will be a world first with gas turbines. IHI is collaborating with a program that the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, and the Saudi Aramco Oil Company are undertaking to demonstrate the feasibility of the blue ammonia supply chain (see note 1). 

This ammonia is called “blue” as it is carbon-neutral. That is because the process for producing ammonia from natural gas entails capturing carbon dioxide emissions using them for enhanced oil recovery and for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. 

IHI is undertaking research and development to improve ammonia co-firing technology for gas turbines and coal-fired burners. This is under a project that Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (see note 2) commissioned to develop and commercialize advanced thermal power technologies and conduct advanced research into ammonia co-firing technology for such facilities. This project aims to raise the ammonia co-firing ratio to more than 50% on a calorific value basis. IHI is also employing blue ammonia in co-firing tests with pulverized coal at a large-capacity combustion test facility within its Aioi Works in Hyogo Prefecture. This is incidentally the world’s first blue ammonia and coal co-firing test.

The key benefit of ammonia is that it can directly fuel power generation and other combustion facilities and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the process. Ammonia is a ubiquitous component of fertilizers and industrial raw materials. It is easy to tap because there are no technical challenges with the supply infrastructure.

Such testing is important because it brings together fuel producers and users in shared efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions. IHI will keep developing technologies that leverage ammonia as an energy source that helps materialize a cleaner world.

Notes: 

  1. Detailed in an October 13 press release from the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, accessible at: https://eneken.ieej.or.jp/en/press/press201013_en%20.pdf
  2. New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization project
    This project from April 2019 through February 2021 encompasses two key tasks. The first is to conduct R&D into ammonia co-firing technology for multi burners in pulverized coal boilers. The participants in that work are IHI Corporation, the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, and Osaka University. The second task is to develop technology for spraying liquid ammonia directly into gas turbine systems. The participants here are IHI, Tohoku University, and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.
          

Ammonia co-firing gas turbine test facility at IHI Yokohama Works
Ammonia co-firing gas turbine test facility at IHI Yokohama Works

Large-capacity combustion test facility at IHI’s Aioi Works
Large-capacity combustion test facility at IHI’s Aioi Works

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