In Japan, a project consortium with Chiyoda Corporation (Chiyoda), Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO), and JERA Co., Inc. (JERA) have announced that they have commenced research and development (R&D of innovative ammonia synthesis catalysts. The joint industry-academia project is funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund program, to support the establishment of fuel ammonia supply chains.
According to a statement, the initiative is to develop Japanese independent ammonia synthesis technologies, based on the development of innovative catalysts, to enhance the use of ammonia through lower production costs and to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from (coal-fired) power generation plants.
It is expected that the results will be socially implemented following bench tests and pilot tests assuming commercial utilization.
The R&D project consists of two stages. The first stage is to develop new ammonia synthesis catalysts through a competitive development strategy between three industry/academia teams.
The second is to develop new ammonia synthesis process/facilities, to compete with Haber–Bosch (HB) based technologies by utilizing lower temperature and pressure synthesis catalysts developed in the first stage to reduce production costs.
The expected ten-year schedule is:
- FY2021 – FY2024: Competitive catalyst development;
- FY2025 – 1st half of FY2027: Bench tests and performance evaluations of selected catalysts;
- 2nd half of FY2027 – FY2030: Industrializing catalysts and conducting pilot tests.
The fuel ammonia market is expected to grow rapidly and Chiyoda, TEPCO, and JERA will discuss exploring the broader global use of the R&D results, such as ammonia production using clean, green hydrogen from renewable energy.
