IHI Conducted a Visiting Class at Toyosu Kita Elementary School in Koto-ku: “Let’s Learn About Decarbonization! Ammonia Is Amazing!”
For three days between Tuesday, February 17 and Friday, February 20, 2026, IHI held a visiting class titled “Let’s Learn About Decarbonization! Ammonia Is Amazing!” for 139 sixth-grade students at Toyosu Kita Elementary School in Koto-ku, located near its Toyosu Headquarters. A total of 42 employees participated in the program as instructors and experiment support staff.
The class was designed to help students understand that the power of science is essential for slowing global warming and to deepen their interest in science. On the day of the class, employees involved in the Carbon Solutions business served as instructors. The teaching materials used in the class were prepared under the supervision of Associate Professor Kazuya Yoshimura of the Ochanomizu University Institute for Science & Education, who also participated in the class to provide support.
The class consisted of two parts: acquiring knowledge through lectures and learning through hands-on experiments.
In the lecture, students were given an explanation of the impacts and mechanisms of global warming, and learned that reducing carbon dioxide emissions—one of its main causes—is an effective way to slow its progression.
Next, students conducted an experiment to understand the principles of thermal power generation. They tested two methods of rotating a power-generating motor shaft—by hand and using steam—and experienced how the use of steam produces stable rotation that leads to power generation. In the thermal power generation model using steam, water was boiled in a flask to generate steam, which turned a turbine. The turbine’s rotation drove a motor and lit an LED light. The students confirmed that the LED remained lit as long as steam was being generated, demonstrating sustained power generation.
The class then moved on to an experiment involving the generation and combustion of ammonia. Before the experiment, students learned that ammonia is an important next-generation energy option because it does not emit carbon dioxide when burned. In the experiment, ammonia was first produced, then collected in a test tube and ignited. The gas generated during combustion was then passed through limewater, and students observed whether its color changed. By confirming that the limewater did not turn cloudy, they verified that the gas did not contain carbon dioxide. The experiment concluded successfully, with students expressing surprise as they observed the phenomenon unfold before their eyes. Through this series of experiments, students gained a deeper understanding of ammonia as a fuel.
To conclude the class, the students were introduced to a demonstration project conducted by IHI together with JERA Co., Inc., in which part of the fuel used at a thermal power plant was replaced with ammonia for power generation. The students appeared to take great interest in learning that what they had studied in the visiting class is being applied to large-scale initiatives, such as demonstration testing at an actual thermal power plant.
Students who participated shared comments such as, “Now I understand that IHI is an ammonia company,” “I learned that ammonia can be useful,” and “It was fun to do experiments that we don’t normally get to do in our regular school classes.” The program provided a valuable opportunity to spark their interest in science.
The IHI Group will continue to offer visiting classes to promote understanding of its business activities and help nurture the next generation of talent.