IHI Corporation, together with JERA Co., Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tohoku University and the Clean Fuel Ammonia Association, has received the Contribution Award under the Fiscal 2025 Division General Awards hosted by the Power and Energy Systems Division of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. The award honors individuals and organisations that have made noteworthy contributions in research, technology development and public-orientated activities in the field of power and energy systems.
Recognition for Demonstration and Standardisation
The award recognises the successful large-scale demonstration test of fuel ammonia conversion (20 percent heat input) conducted in fiscal 2024 at Unit 4 of JERA’s Hekinan Thermal Power Station. The demonstration proved that ammonia firing, an advanced technology that contributes to decarbonisation in thermal power generation, is feasible for commercial application.
Scene from the award ceremony
(second from the left: Ryo Hanaoka, manager, Japanese market G, business development & sales dept, Carbon Solution Business Unit, Resources, Energy & Environment Business Area; fourth from the left: Ryo Nakazawa, manager, Basic Design Group, Life Cycle Management Dept. same SBU)
Furthermore, based on these results, procedures and reporting processes for flue gas performance evaluation tests for large power generation boilers using fuel ammonia were defined and advanced toward international standardisation. This effort was also highly evaluated.
Advancing International Standards
Alongside its work on demonstration testing, IHI is promoting the creation of international rules to ensure the safe use of ammonia as a new fuel. The demonstration results supported the publication of the Technical Specification ISO/TS 21343 (Oil and gas industries including lower carbon energy – Fuel ammonia Requirements – and guidance for boilers for power generation).
IHI will continue contributing to the development of social systems that enable the safe handling of fuel ammonia and will work toward its early and widespread adoption.
Development Path
IHI began development of combustion technology for the use of ammonia as a fuel in the mid-2010s. In fiscal 2017 to 2018, under the Cabinet Office’s Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, IHI investigated the feasibility of ammonia firing in existing coal-fired boilers.
From fiscal 2019, with support from NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), IHI conducted preliminary studies for demonstration testing through its research and development of multi-burner-compatible ammonia co-firing technology in pulverised-coal-fired boilers.
Building on these outcomes, IHI and JERA began preparing in fiscal 2021 for the 20 percent ammonia firing demonstration at the Hekinan Thermal Power Station. The demonstration at Unit 4 was successfully completed in fiscal 2024 under NEDO’s subsidised project for demonstration research on 20 percent ammonia co-firing in a one-million-kilowatt coal-fired power plant.
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