Page 12 - AsiaElec Week 08 2022

AsiaElec AMMONIA AsiaElec

Japan firms test ammonia

for power, petrochemical

decarbonisation

JAPAN JERA, Japan’s largest power generation company, power plant (TPP), with the intention to switch
announced on February 18 that it will carry out 20% of the fuel at Unit 4 to ammonia by the late
an international competitive bid to procure fuel 2020s. JERA said it aims to use a 20% ammonia
ammonia that will be used in the company’s coal- fuel mix at all its coal-fired plants by 2035 and
fired plants for the purpose of decarbonisation. develop technology to enable a 100% switch to
In its Request for Proposals (RfP), which it ammonia in the 2040s.
sent to more than 30 companies, JERA specified Meanwhile, Japanese media report that a
that it is seeking a supply of up to 500,000 tonnes group of Japanese firms intend to demonstrate
annually under a long-term contract beginning the use of fuel ammonia to operate a naphtha
in fiscal year 2027 and extending into the 2040s. cracker. Mitsui Chemicals will use fuel ammo-
It specified that as a rule the CO2 involved is nia at its Osaka ethylene cracker, while Maru-
either not generated during ammonia produc- zen Petrochemical will do the same at its Chiba
tion or is captured and stored, and also that JERA facility. Toyo Engineering will build the test and
has the opportunity in production projects. demonstration cracker and auxiliary facilities,
“Under its ‘JERA Zero CO2 Emissions 2050’ and Sojitz Machinery will develop and build a
objective, JERA has been working to reduce CO2 fuel burner.
emissions from its domestic and overseas busi- The four companies have received $202mn in
nesses to zero by 2050, to promote the adoption subsidies from Nedo, Japan’s state-run research
of greener fuels, and to pursue thermal power and development institute, to undertake the pro-
that does not emit CO2 during power genera- ject, which they will conduct until 2031. By that
tion,” the company said in its request. time, the companies plan to develop a naphtha
JERA produces around 30% of Japan’s elec- cracker fuelled entirely by ammonia. Currently
tricity with power generation assets totalling the naphtha crackers use methane-based gas to
some 75 GW capacity, and it operates eight LNG operate.
import terminals. Japan is expected to require 3mn tonnes per
The company said it plans to demonstrate year of ammonia by 2030 as part of it™
the use of fuel ammonia at its Hekinan thermal

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