MHI, Taiwan Fertilizer to Assess National Fuel Ammonia Value Chain

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TFC to conduct a joint pre-feasibility study on establishing an ammonia value chain in Taiwan, supporting the country’s 2050 Net-Zero Emissions goal.

MHI and TFC will explore facilities and economic feasibility of the fuel ammonia value chain, including ammonia receiving, storage, handling, and delivery to power plants. In addition, the MoU will assess using ammonia as a fuel for power generation. Ammonia, comprised of hydrogen and nitrogen, is an efficient carrier for hydrogen transportation and can undergo fuel combustion without emitting CO₂.

MoU signing ceremony; Image Credits: MHI

Taiwan’s 2050 Net-Zero Emissions target focuses on cutting carbon emissions and integrating less carbon-intensive fuels. To support the initiative, TFC will use blue ammonia and green ammonia as fuel in Taiwan. In June 2023, TFC imported the country’s first low-carbon ammonia and, in January 2024, created an Ammonia Energy Division.

MHI Low-Carbon Fuels

In June 2024, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and MHI agreed to research the integration of hydrogen co-firing technologies in gas turbine-driven power generation facilities in Thailand. Backing the country’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065, the partners’ research will facilitate the conversion of thermal power plants to clean-fuel operation.

The agreement will begin with a hydrogen co-firing pilot project at an EGAT power plant in Thailand, with an initial feasibility study to be performed by March 2025. For this pilot project and at EGAT’s request, the companies plan to achieve a hydrogen co-firing ratio of 20% with assistance from Mitsubishi Power. EGAT is also creating a strategic hydrogen supply chain management plan, which includes the transportation, storage, and distribution of hydrogen in Thailand. MHI and EGAT will conduct an evolved feasibility study based on the results of their partnership.

In December 2023, PTT Global Chemical Company (GC) and MHI Asia Pacific agreed to conduct a joint study of the technologies to be integrated in a large-scale petrochemical complex in Thailand. The collaboration will focus on solutions that use low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, as well as implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.

The MoU covers a four-year span and outlines two primary objectives to gauge the feasibility of applying decarbonization technologies to GC’s assets. The first objective is to conduct comparative research between the use of hydrogen and ammonia as gas turbine fuels and, in addition to this testing, the application of CCS technologies to reduce CO₂ emissions from power generators.

A secondary objective is to evaluate the application and optimization of CCS technologies for the steam-methane reforming process. MHI-AP will enable this testing by providing carbon capture technologies, hydrogen combustion gas turbines, and ammonia gas turbines.