Site items in: Power Generation

Ammonia for power generation: a new, efficient, low-emissions generator made possible with software enabled technology and precise flameless reaction control
Presentation

Customers who have historically wanted to use ammonia for power generation have been limited to co-firing with coal or diesel in order to overcome ammonia’s high ignition temperature and slow chemical kinetics. This process comes at a price; carbon emissions, added costs for blending, and significant drops in power output. Fortunately there is a new and cost effective alternative for ammonia-based power generation, one that’s uniquely positioned to run off of 100% ammonia without any reductions in power or efficiency. Precise reaction control, thanks to software-enabled technology, permits the Mainspring Linear Generator to manage fuel compression ratios and utilize a…

Economic analysis for hydrogen - ammonia decarbonization of a natural gas plant - a phased approach
Presentation

This paper summarizes a comprehensive technical and economic analysis of a hydrogen-ammonia upgrade to an existing 42 MW natural gas plant. A phased approach is carefully chosen which deploys low-carbon technology in modules which are palatable by large-scale utility customers. The objective is to minimize capital costs of the conversion while maximizing decarbonization as each phase is deployed. A phased approach delivers optionality to utilities which are often locked into carbon-emitting technologies by protracted investment durations. Phase one details implementation of an on-site thermal pyrolysis system. Existing natural gas infrastructure and plant waste heat are used to provide clean hydrogen.…

Program on combustion of ammonia and ammonia-hydrogen mixtures for power generation
Presentation

GTI Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have embarked on fundamental and applied investigations of ammonia as an alternative energy carrier under a joint program known as Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI). Focus is on applications under turbine operating conditions for both ammonia and ammonia-hydrogen mixtures. Participating teams members include the University of Central Florida (UCF), Georgia Institute of Technology and CRAFT Tech. Experimental, conceptual designs of combustors and computational efforts are underway since late 2021 and results to-date will be presented. The presentation will also include expanded tasks related to in-depth pursuit of the topic made possible through…

KBR: ammonia-powered offshore drilling
Article

KBR, Odfjell, Equinor and Wärtsilä will all collaborate to study conversion of diesel generators on board semi-submersible, offshore drilling vessels to ammonia-fueled generators. On-board power for equipment and heavy machinery on these vessels is typically provided by fossil-fed generators. As fuel costs increase, operators are looking to new energy solutions including offshore wind and alternative fuels like hydrogen & ammonia.

Ammonia combustion for power generation: updates from Korea, Malaysia and Singapore
Article

Joint venture SK Plug Hyverse has agreed to deploy its Korean-manufactured PEM electrolysers overseas, and then supply Korea South-East Power (KOEN) with renewable hydrogen & ammonia imports for co-firing at natural gas and coal power plants. In Malaysia, power utility Tenaga Nasional Bhd, IHI Power Systems and Petronas announced they have successfully conducted 60% ammonia co-combustion trials. And in Singapore, Jurong Port, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JERA will conduct a joint study on Jurong Island, where a 60MW, combined-cycle gas turbine will be fueled by 100% ammonia to produce zero-carbon electricity.

Global emissions implications from co-combusting ammonia in coal fired power stations: An analysis of the Japan-Australia supply chain
Presentation

This study considers the emissions implications of co-combusting imported ammonia in coal-fired power stations. The study adopts a supply chain approach, estimating the emissions reduction potential of 20% ammonia co-combustion in coal-fired power stations in the country of use (Japan), and the emissions associated with ammonia production in the country of origin (Australia). The results show co-combustion of ammonia produced with SMR-HB provides no net benefit for the combined country emissions, as ammonia production related greenhouse emissions in Australia are equivalent to the emission reductions in Japan. In contrast, co-firing ammonia produced from fully renewable sources reduces emissions in the…

ACWA Power and POSCO join forces on ammonia
Article

Saudi-based ACWA Power and South Korean-based POSCO will join forces to develop new hydrogen and ammonia production projects, with an eye towards decarbonising POSCO’s power generation and steel making activities in South Korea. The pair are already significant players in the ammonia energy space, with POSCO setting ambitious goals for production & imports, and ACWA involved in multiple mega-projects in the Middle East.

Mainspring: ammonia-fed, “linear” power generators
Article

US-based Mainspring Energy has announced successful testing of pure ammonia fuel in its Linear Generator technology. Running on pure (anhydrous) ammonia, the overall system efficiency was 1% higher than conventional gas fuels, and Mainspring indicates that “off-the-shelf” technology available for current gas turbine models can yield NOx emissions that “meet any permitting standard”. Mainspring aims for its product to displace diesel-powered backup generators in a variety of applications.

Dual-fuel ammonia for power generation in South Korea
Article

Doosan, KEPCO and Samsung will join forces to jointly develop a “dual-fuel green ammonia” power generation model that can be rolled out to 1 GW power plants in South Korea. In the trio, Doosan is charged with the development of ammonia dual-fuel boilers, indicating that coal co-firing is the target of the model rollout. As part of a different agreement, Doosan is also involved in ammonia-hydrogen gas turbine development with POSCO and KEPCO.

Renewable ammonia production on Curaçao and the Canary Islands
Article

Two sets of academic analyses highlight the huge potential for renewable energy and ammonia fuel to wean island states off fossil fuel use. Researchers from the University of Twente propose a highly-integrated energy generation and storage system for the Caribbean nation of Curaçao, with battery storage and ammonia fuel to offset periods of low wind-power output. On the Canary Islands, researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria present their concept for a “hexa-generation” energy system to produce electricity, water, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and - ultimately - ammonia.