IHI and Partners Launching Ammonia Co-Firing Technology Feasibility Assessments at Coal Power Stations in Malaysia with Partners and for Other Companies to Establish Local Carbon-Free Ammonia Supply Chain
IHI Corporation announced today that it has launched a feasibility study with two Malaysian partners to help reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The study runs through February, 2022. This initiative includes assessing technology for co-firing ammonia at coal power stations in Malaysia and evaluating technologies and economics across the entire supply chain, including to produce green ammonia from renewable energy sources and blue ammonia from natural gas.
One partner is PETRONAS Gas & New Energy Sdn. Bhd., the one-stop center for cleaner energy solutions under Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS), a Malaysian energy and solutions company. The other partner is TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd (TNB Genco), which owns and operates several power plants in Peninsular Malaysia. That company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB), Malaysia’s biggest electricity utility.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) selected this initiative as a grant recipient under its FY2021 program of feasibility studies on the overseas deployment of high-quality infrastructure.
Ammonia has a high hydrogen density and is easy to handle. As a carrier for hydrogen, ammonia streamlines and lowers the costs of transporting and storing carbon-free fuel for direct use in natural gas power generation. Ammonia is a common fertilizer and chemical raw material. Technologies are now in place to integrate everything from ammonia production and transportation through storage. Ammonia is carbon-free, and could help significantly reduce CO₂ emissions as a fuel.
IHI is developing combustion technology that uses ammonia. The company has driven noteworthy advances in co-firing technology. By the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, for example, it had developed a coal power station ammonia co-firing burner that suppresses nitrogen oxides while stabilizing combustion. IHI is leveraging its advances in a demonstration project that is the world’s first to target 20% ammonia-to-coal co-firing at a commercial coal power station in Japan. It is also pursuing an initiative to commercialize an ammonia supply chain after completing that project.
This initiative draws on the credentials and expertise of all three partners. IHI has delivered numerous coal-fired boilers to Malaysia and is spearheading the development of ammonia combustion technology. PETRONAS is one of the world’s leading energy producers. It has produced ammonia for more than three decades. TNB Genco supplies 53% of Malaysia’s electricity.
METI also chose The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc., and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., as grant recipients under the FY2021 program mentioned above. In response to a request from those two companies, IHI plans to conduct a technical evaluation of Feasibility Study for the Ammonia-Biomass Co-firing Project in an Ultra-Supercritical Coal-fired Thermal Power Station in Malaysia and Development Survey in South East Asia.
Through both feasibility explorations, IHI aims to demonstrate diverse ammonia usage models in Malaysia and build a fuel ammonia supply chain to accommodate future demand increases. It will thereby help accelerate the adoption of fuel ammonia and shrink environmental impacts by providing top-quality infrastructure.
Roles of three companies
IHI
- Study application of ammonia co-firing technology to TNB’s coal power stations
- Have subsidiary IHI Power System Malaysia survey local ammonia factories and power plants
- Compile comprehensive technical and economic assessments of ammonia supply chain production, transportation, and usage
PETRONAS Gas & New Energy
- Support renewable energy and low-carbon hydrogen policy research
- Provide information on blue and green hydrogen and ammonia production and distribution and advise on business structure evaluation
TNB Genco
- Help study impact and benefits of applying ammonia co-firing technology at coal power stations
- Assist with research into renewable energy supply capacity for application with green ammonia production processes
Ammonia supply chain envisioned for feasibility study
Related press releases
October 06, 2021
JERA and IHI Start Small-Volume Utilization of Fuel Ammonia at Hekinan Thermal Power Station Unit 5
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2021/resources_energy_environment/1197542_3360.html
October 05, 2021
IHI Starts Developing Large Ammonia Receiving Terminal to Help Establish Large Ammonia Supply Chain
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2021/resources_energy_environment/1197536_3360.html
June 25, 2021
IHI and Idemitsu to Jointly Explore Establishing Ammonia Supply Chain
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2021/resources_energy_environment/1197480_3360.html
March 26, 2021
IHI Becomes World’s First to Attain 70% Liquid Ammonia Co-Firing Ratio on 2,000-Kilowatt-Class Gas Turbine
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2020/resources_energy_environment/1197060_2032.html