Japan’s power firm and LNG trading giant Jera has started supplying larger volumes of ammonia to its coal-fueled Hekinan thermal power station as part of a demonstration project.
“Jera and IHI today began, at Jera’s Hekinan thermal power station in Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture, the world’s first demonstration testing of large-volume fuel ammonia substitution (20 percent of heating value) at a large-scale commercial coal-fired thermal power plant,” the firm said on Monday.
This demonstration testing is planned to be carried out through June 2024, Jera said.
Jera previously joined forces with compatriot IHI on the pilot project.
In October 2021, the duo started supplying smaller amounts of ammonia to the power plant.
The project previously aimed to achieve an ammonia co-firing rate of 20 percent at the 1 GW Hekinan power station unit 4 in fiscal 2024.
However, the partners decided in 2022 to move up the start of large-volume ammonia co-firing to fiscal 2023, ending March 2024.
Also, Jera said last year it will buy ammonia from compatriot trading house Mitsui & Co to supply it to its coal-fueled Hekinan thermal power station as part of ammonia co-firing trials.
Ammonia plans
The project will last for some 4 years from July 2021 through March 2025, according to Jera.
Since October 2022, the partners have been moving forward in constructing the burners, tank, vaporizer, piping, and other facilities necessary for demonstration testing fuel ammonia substitution.
IHI has developed a test burner based on the results of small-volume testing of fuel ammonia at the power station’s unit 5, and Jera has prepared safety measures and an operational framework for the use of fuel ammonia at the power station.
With such preparations in place, the demonstration testing of large-volume fuel ammonia substitution began on Monday at the power station’s unit 4.
The demonstration testing will look at characteristics of the plant overall, investigating nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and confirming factors such as operability and the impact on boilers and ancillary equipment, Jera said.
“Jera and IHI, by addressing issues raised through the demonstration testing, will seek to establish, technology for the use of fuel ammonia in thermal power generation with a view toward mainstreaming in society by March 2025,” it said.
In addition to steadily carrying out the current demonstration testing, IHI will apply the knowledges gained through the project to establish technology for high-ratio combustion of 50 percent ammonia or more at thermal power plants, Jera said.
It will also develop burners for 100 percent ammonia combustion, deploying the results of the demonstration testing to other thermal power plants in Japan and overseas, it said.