Japan Pushing Ammonia As Fuel Source Of Tomorrow

C: Andrey Sharpilo - Unsplash

In a meeting of the newly established Fuel Ammonia Council, a representative of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) told the council that Tokyo thinks “(A)mmonia is expected to be introduced as fuel on a commercial basis for thermal power generation and shipping in the late 2020s, and it is expected to be used for a significant amount by around 2030,”

In making the announcement, METI director-general of oil, gas and mineral resources, Ryo Minami appeared to prompt other members to speak with the council saying it now plans to introduce the nitrogen-hydrogen compound (NH3) into the global fuel mix to aid in thermal power production.

It is understood Tokyo is looking to start shipping ammonia this decade as it pushes for carbon-neutrality by 2050.

Fuel tanker – image only – C: Andrey Sharpilo – Unsplash

If the METI goal is ultimately achieved, it will serve to rank ammonia alongside more commonly known forms of renewables such as solar, wind and hydro power, but as a still largely untapped resource for a number of viability reasons, is expected to take years to produce on a commercial basis.

In the summer, NYK, a major Japanese shipping firm along with Japan Marine United Corp., and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, a Japanese non-profit NGO, agreed a research and development programme to study the feasibility of producing a commercially viable ammonia fuelled carrier of ammonia gas.

If realised, it “(is) expected that the use of ammonia, which is the cargo, as a marine fuel will contribute to the early realization of zero emissions for oceangoing vessels,” according to NYK.

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.