Japan going to launch mega ammonia bomb

EcoNews carries an article about Japan which is going to launch a mega ammonia bomb, Caliber.Az reprints the article.

Coal is one of the most polluting energy sources in existence, which is why it has been abandoned year after year all over the world. Japan does not have the possibility, for example, to install solar farms like the ones we have in Spain. However, it seems that they have found an interesting solution in the combustion of coal and ammonia.

What is coal and ammonia combustion all about?

Importing energy represents a great cost for each territory. This is why the basis of each country’s economy depends heavily on local energy resources. For Japan, the main source of electricity has always been coal, and the characteristics and dimensions of its territory are a major impediment to the use of alternative energies.

The major drawback is that the combustion of coal generates an incredible amount of gases that are harmful to the environment, in addition to the fact that its extraction requires mining operations that are equally destructive to the ecosystem. Finally, coal is a non-renewable resource, so it is important to find an alternative source before it runs out.

The company Jera, a leader in electricity production in the country, seems to have found a solution to leave all these problems in the past in a simple and relatively inexpensive way. It is the combination of coal and ammonia to reduce the negative impact on the environment when burning coal to produce electricity.

Ammonia as a fuel?

You may not have heard much about ammonia as a fuel, and that is because in the West it is not very common as we have an abundance of other types of resources. In Japan, on the other hand, there is a strong production sector dedicated to ammonia for different uses, and, in recent years, they have been developing research into its potential as a fuel.

The potential of ammonia and coal combustion lies mainly in the properties of ammonia as a source of clean hydrogen to drive engines and power plants. This substance is composed of one nitrogen atom and two hydrogen atoms, so a simple chemical reaction can be generated to separate the hydrogen and use it both as a fuel and for electric motors.

Jera’s goal is to start by replacing 20 per cent of coal use for power production with ammonia, with a view to reaching 50 per cent by 2035 and full ammonia-fired operation of all power plants by 2050.

To obtain the ammonia needed for the combustion of coal and ammonia, Jera plans to obtain it from the sea, where decomposing organic bodies release this substance in large quantities. This is called “blue ammonia”.

The challenges of coal and ammonia combustion

The combustion of carbon and ammonia is still in an experimental phase, although the Asian country sees great potential in this fuel both for the power industry and as a fuel for ships and hydrogen-powered vehicles. The biggest hurdle is the safe handling of a substance that is highly toxic to all living things.

It will also be necessary to establish a new supply line for blue ammonia and the development of green ammonia to obtain the substance in an environmentally safe manner. However, the outlook is highly positive and it is expected to be a mass-use alternative for the entire world by 2050.

Ammonia as the fuel of the future

The arrangements are already underway for the use of coal combustion and ammonia to supply electricity to the city of Hekian, which has about 70,000 inhabitants. It only remains to be seen how this innovation will be complemented by other major developments in the use of clean hydrogen for power generation.