Green Ammonia: The Future of Clean Fuel?

As the world increasingly prioritizes reducing carbon emissions, we desperately need alternatives to fossil fuels. One such fuel may be green ammonia, and Japan is already exploring its potential in the energy sector.

There seems to be some industry excitement about green ammonia, but what exactly is it, and can we begin pinning our hopes on this ‘new’ fuel?

What is green ammonia?

Ammonia is a colorless gas compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. It has long been widely used as an agricultural fertilizer, but its production is far from eco-friendly.

The most common way of making ammonia is using the Haber-Bosch process, which uses methane, water, and air. This process requires high temperatures and pressures and is responsible for approximately 1.8% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

However, so-called ‘green’ ammonia can be made by combining hydrogen (via water electrolysis) and nitrogen (separated from air) with the Haber-Bosch process. The important factor is that the energy required to create the necessary high temperatures and pressures is provided by sustainable electricity. In this process, no carbon dioxide is emitted.

The pros and cons of green ammonia as a fuel

Green ammonia can be used as a fuel, but there are pros and cons:

Japan’s green ammonia powered turbines

As the world watches, Japan is exploring the possibilities of green ammonia in power generation. With the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, the Japanese power sector must be inventive when it comes to fuel sources. Japan's topography, with its mountainous islands, means other renewable energies, such as wind power, are tricky to support. Could green ammonia be the answer?

IHI Corporation in Tokyo, Japan, has developed a 2,000-kilowatt-class IM270 ammonia-fired turbine that runs on green ammonia and has been designed to produce no nitrous oxide. Could this be the first of many to follow?

Currently, Japanese power plants rely on natural gas and coal, but IHI is assisting in the retrofit of hardware, allowing co-combustion of these fuels with ammonia. The idea is a full switch to the latter, but this method supports a gradual transition.

It’s very possible we will see more green ammonia-powered turbines in the future, and it’s certainly an interesting direction for the industry to take.

Get in touch

At Rochem, we stay at the forefront of the developments in gas turbine technology. We have specialized in gas turbine compressor cleaning products for over 40 years and are dedicated to supporting our customers as the industry shifts to more eco-friendly production.

If you’ve got any questions, please get in touch.