IHI Corporation (IHI), a Japanese engineering company, has signed a Joint Collaboration Demonstration Agreement (the “Project”) with clean energy solutions company, Gentari through Gentari Hydrogen Sdn Bhd and subsidiaries of the PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) group of companies, to carry out a demonstration of an ammonia-powered gas turbine (IM270 Gas Turbine) running fully on ammonia fuel.

Under this Project, the parties will work together to deploy IHI’s fully ammonia‑powered gas turbine at PCG’s ammonia plant at the PETRONAS Kertih Integrated Petrochemical Complex in Terengganu, Malaysia, using ammonia produced by the plant.

Once in operation, this will be a significant milestone in demonstrating a new end-use case for ammonia (as fuel) using the ammonia‑powered gas turbine technology to produce clean power, thus showcasing its technical potential.

In parallel, IHI, Gentari and PCG have agreed to jointly explore the establishment and expansion of a clean ammonia value chain. This will cover the production, transportation, and utilization of clean ammonia, mainly in the Asia Pacific region, and will aim to create synergies by combining the technologies and expertise of the parties.

This Project was registered as an MOU-based initiative at the 1st AZEC Leaders’ Meeting and was subsequently selected for support under the Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project (Large-Scale Demonstration in ASEAN Member Countries), an initiative administered by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

The parties are targeting the start of the demonstration in FY2027. (*FY2027 = based on the Japanese fiscal year). This demonstration could potentially be the world’s first fully ammonia-powered gas turbine to be deployed in a commercial plant.

To commemorate the signing of the JCDA, a signing ceremony photo session was held on 26 March at METI in Japan, attended by representatives from PETRONAS (Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik, PETRONAS President & Group CEO and Gentari Chairman) and IHI (Hiroshi Ide, IHI Corporation President & CEO).

This Project will also contribute to Malaysia’s efforts to promote decarbonization under the “National Energy Transition Roadmap” and “Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap” announced in 2023, as well as to the creation of hydrogen demand and infrastructure for clean ammonia. The Project is expected to support the wider adoption of clean ammonia as a potential alternative clean fuel for the energy transition in Malaysia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

IHI will continue to work closely with Gentari and the PETRONAS Group to advance decarbonization in the Asia-Pacific region and to expand the clean ammonia value chain in the world.

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