Yara and Kyushu Electric Power explore clean ammonia collaboration in Japan

LONDON (ICIS)–Norwegian fertilizer group Yara and power generation company Kyushu Electric Power Co on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on establishing “clean ammonia” supply chains in Japan.

The MoU aims to reduce CO2 emissions at Kyushu’s thermal power operations at Kyushu on the country’s southern island through the adoption of blue and/or green ammonia technologies.

Oslo-based Yara and Kyushu will look to jointly develop clean ammonia end-to-end supply chain to Kyushu’s coal thermal power generation plants.

The pair will also consider the development of a receiving and distribution system of clean ammonia for use in a wide range of fields in the same region.

Japan’s government wants to import 3m tonnes/year of ammonia for power generation alone by 2030, and 30m tonnes/year by 2050 as part of measures to cut CO2 emissions and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

“Ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide during combustion and is seen as an effective future energy source,” Yara said in a news release.

“Blue ammonia is derived from a carbon capture and storage process (CCS), while green ammonia is produced carbon free by using hydrogen sourced from renewable energy as feedstock.”