JERA, MHI Demo Project Aims to Boost Ammonia Co-firing at Coal-fired Boilers

JERA Co., Inc. (“JERA”) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (“MHI”) have received notice of acceptance of their grant application, under the Green Innovation Fund program of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (“NEDO”), to conduct a project to develop and demonstrate a technology to increase the ammonia co-firing rate at coal-fired boilers (the “Project”).

Ammonia enables efficient, low-cost transport and storage of hydrogen. In addition to this role as an energy carrier, it can also be used directly as a fuel in thermal power generation. As a fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned, ammonia is expected to offer great advantages in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve a decarbonized society, it is important to reduce CO2 emissions from thermal power generation by innovating to increase the co-firing rate of fuel ammonia.

This Project aims to develop an ammonia single-fuel burner suitable for coal-fired boilers and to demonstrate operation of the burner at actual boilers. The term of the Project is approximately 8 years from FY 2021 to FY 2028.

By FY 2024, JERA and MHI will develop a new burner capable of single-fuel ammonia combustion and draw up a master plan for equipment to demonstrate its use in actual boilers. Based on the results, the two companies will decide whether to install the burners at JERA’s coal-fired boilers made by MHI. For the actual plant demonstrations, JERA and MHI plan to verify co-firing with at least 50% ammonia at two units with different boiler types by FY 2028.

Under its “JERA Zero CO2 Emissions 2050” objective, JERA has been working to reduce CO2 emissions from its domestic and overseas businesses to zero by 2050, promoting the adoption of greener fuels and pursuing thermal power that does not emit CO2 during power generation. JERA will continue to contribute to energy industry decarbonization through its own proactive efforts to develop decarbonization technologies while ensuring economic rationality.

Under its “MISSION NET ZERO” declaration, MHI will promote the energy transition in cooperation with partners around the world, and contribute to achieving a carbon-neutral society through the collective efforts of the group by its products, technologies, and services that can contribute to CO2 reduction.