Co-firing of ammonia in thermal power plants could be worth $100 billion by 2050, as governments around the world upgrade their green energy strategies, increasing demand for the compound, according to energy research consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Ammonia, a derivative of hydrogen, does not emit carbon dioxide when burned, and reducing emissions in thermal power generation is a very attractive proposition.

Speaking at APPEA, Prakash Sharma, vice president of Wood Mackenzie, said: “The possibility of burning low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia in thermal power plants provides countries with an additional tool to decarbonize the power generation sector. As long as in coal-fired power plants Using 10% ammonia co-firing could lead to a 50% increase in ammonia demand, reaching 200 million tons by 2050, a market opportunity worth $100 billion. In addition, co-firing would reduce carbon emissions by 10%, which is There are physical constraints to market strategic advantages in renewable energy and CCUS capacity building.”

China, Asia's largest economy, plans to achieve a net-zero emissions target by 2060. The UAE, OPEC's third-largest oil producer, aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, with plans to invest $163.5 billion in clean and renewable energy over the next 30 years.

Japanese power companies are leading the way in co-firing ammonia in coal and gas-fired power plants. South Korea also recently expanded plans to co-fire hydrogen and ammonia in thermal power plants. Mr Sharma said: “Ammonia is a good option for power generation, either on its own or directly through co-firing with no further conversion costs. Average delivery of low carbon ammonia to Japan by 2050 Costs are expected to drop by 60% from the current $1,250 per ton to less than $500 per ton.”

As one of the lightest and most abundant elements in the universe, hydrogen is being prioritized worldwide as a viable alternative fuel as they work to reduce emissions to limit global warming. Ammonia can easily transport hydrogen, with the blue form from the gas and the green form from splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable resources. Thermal power is currently the world's largest source of electricity and heat. According to Wood Mackenzie, in 2021, the Asia-Pacific region will have a 70% share of thermal power generation, with Europe and the Americas combined at 50%.

With growing global electricity demand and intense focus on decarbonization, there is an urgent need to replace thermal power plants with renewable energy and battery storage, or paired with new technologies such as carbon capture, utilization storage, etc. to reduce emissions. The cost of replacing these thermal power plants quickly is high, as several countries' thermal fleets still have many years of useful life, and the ability to co-fire ammonia or low-carbon hydrogen in thermal power generation is an increasingly attractive proposition, even if The cost will be high. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering news

The global hydrogen industry is expected to reach $183 billion by 2023, up from $129 billion in 2017, according to Fitch Solutions. French investment bank Natixis estimates that hydrogen investment will exceed $300 billion by 2030. Wood Mackenzie said many countries set net-zero emissions targets over the next few years, which could drive up demand for ammonia and hydrogen.Editor/XingWentao