RoydadNaft –  Japan’s top power generator, JERA, plans to co-fire 20% of ammonia with coal at its Hekinan thermal power station, in what it said will be the world’s first trial using a large amount of the gas at a major commercial plant.

Companies are planning to burn ammonia alongside fossil fuels to generate electricity and cut emissions at power plants, though environmentalists have criticised the move as a way to extend the life of dirty coal-fired plants.

Below are other trials across the Asia-Pacific region.

JAPAN

JERA is conducting the trial at Hekinan plant with heavy machinery maker IHI (7013.T) from March 26 to June 19.
JERA aims to start ammonia co-firing on a commercial basis at Hekinan No.4 unit as early as 2027 and a trial of replacing 50% of coal with ammonia at No.5 unit by around 2028.

Kyushu Electric Power (9508.T) has run two trials to co-fire 0.1% ammonia on a calorific value basis with coal: at the Reihoku power station in April 2023 and at the Matsuura power station in November 2023.

Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan (5019.T) has conducted a demonstration in which more than 20% of the existing fossil fuel was switched to ammonia at a commercial naphtha cracking furnace at its Tokuyama complex in Yamaguchi prefecture, western Japan. The trial took place from Feb. 6 to 8 and confirmed the feasibility of ammonia combustion.
INDONESIA

In Indonesia where coal accounts for over 60% of its power mix, trials have also started.

PT Indo Raya Tenaga tested ammonia co-firing in December at its Jawa 9 and Jawa 10 coal-fired power plants in Banten.
South Korea’s heavy equipment maker Doosan Enerbility signed an MOU with Indonesia Power in September to supply the coal-fired Suralaya Power Station with ammonia.
Japan’s IHI with PT PLN Nusantara Power co-fired ammonia at the gas-fired Gresik Steam Power Plant in October 2022.

INDIA

Adani Power plans to co-fire up to 20% green ammonia in the Mundra Plant, India’s largest private sector power plant, it said in November.

MALAYSIA

Tenaga Nasional Berhad is conducting a study with IHI for an ammonia co-firing project at its two thermal power plants in Perak and Negeri Sembilan.
PHILIPPINES

JERA agreed to study ammonia co-firing at the Philippines’ coal plants run by Aboitiz Power Corp.
EGCO Group, Quezon Power and Doosan signed an MOU in February 2023 to study ammonia co-firing at EGCO Group’s Quezon power plant in the Philippines.
SINGAPORE

Sembcorp Industries, IHI and GE Vernova’s Gas Power business have signed an MOU to explore a potential retrofitting of Sembcorp’s Singapore Sakra power plant with ammonia-firing capabilities.

SOUTH KOREA

Idemitsu signed an MOU with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) which aims to burn ammonia at its coal-fired plants.
TAIWAN

IHI concluded an MOU with Taiwan Power Company (TPC) and Sumitomo Corporation in February, to conduct ammonia co-firing demonstration tests at the Kaohsiung Talin Power Plant.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) signed an MOU with TPC on November 2022 to conduct a study on introducing ammonia co-firing at the Linkou Thermal Power Plant in New Taipei City.

THAILAND

MHI signed an MOU in January to collaborate in a study for ammonia co-firing at a coal-fired Thailand thermal power plant operated by BLCP Power, an independent power producer and a joint venture between Banpu Power Public Company Limited and EGCO Group.