firing trial at coal power station with positive results

IHI

26/06/2024 12:00

By Yuka Obayashi
       TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - JERA, Japan's biggest power
generator, said on Wednesday it has concluded a three-month
trial of co-firing 20% of ammonia with coal at its Hekinan
thermal power station in central Japan with positive results.
    The utility, along with heavy machinery maker IHI  7013.T ,
started the test at a 1-gigawatt (GW) unit on April 1, in what
it said was the world's first trial using a large amount of the
gas at a major commercial plant.
    JERA said results were positive, confirming that nitrogen
oxides levels were no higher than when firing coal alone,
sulphur oxides were reduced by 20%, and generation of nitrous
oxide, which has a strong greenhouse effect, was below the
detection threshold.
    The company, jointly-owned by Tokyo Electric Power  9501.T 
and Chubu Electric Power  9502.T , also confirmed that
operability was comparable to when firing coal alone, it said.
    Based on the results, JERA will begin construction in July
to enable commercial operation using large-volume fuel ammonia
substitution at Hekinan power station.
    JERA will thoroughly evaluate the recent test's impact on
the boiler and peripheral equipment, aiming to establish
technologies for wider use of ammonia as fuel in thermal power
generation by March 2025.
    Ammonia, a toxic gas primarily produced from hydrogen
derived from natural gas and nitrogen extracted from the air,
does not emit carbon dioxide when burned.
    It is principally used as a raw material for fertiliser and
chemicals, but it can also serve as a low-carbon fuel in power
generation and marine bunker operations.
    Japan aims to expand ammonia co-firing to reduce the climate
impact of its power plants running on coal - the fossil fuel
with the highest CO2 emissions.
    However, some environmentalists criticize the plan for
potentially extending the lifespan of coal-fired power plants.
    Energy analysts BloombergNEF have said ammonia-coal
co-firing is too expensive for widespread use in Japan's power
sector and that a coal plant running on up to 50% ammonia would
still emit more CO2 than a gas plant.    

 (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi
Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
 ((Yuka.Obayashi@thomsonreuters.com; +813-4520-1265;))