Japan’s LNG trading giant Jera is moving forward with plans to supply larger volumes of ammonia to its coal-fueled Hekinan thermal power station.
Jera previously joined forces with compatriot IHI Corporation on the pilot project which will run for about 4 years.
In October last year, 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, Jera and IHI have decided to move up the start of large-volume ammonia co-firing to fiscal 2023, ending March 2024, Jera said in a statement on Tuesday.
The “important” project could mark the first step toward “rapid decarbonization” at low cost for countries like Japan that need thermal power generation, according to Jera.
“Therefore, in order to establish the technology as quickly as possible, Jera and IHI have been working to shorten the installation period for the burners, tank, pipes, and other equipment required for the project,” it said.
With these adjustments complete, the duo decided to move the start of the project for about one year, Jera said.
