News Releases 2023
Mar. 22, 2023
Progress in Demonstrating Technology for Green Ammonia Production
JGC Holdings Corporation has announced the conclusion of a basic agreement with the town of Namie on the construction site for a pilot plant equipped with green ammonia production technology for use in a large-scale alkaline water electrolysis system development and green chemical plant demonstration project1 of JGC and Asahi Kasei Corporation that was recognized as a NEDO Green Innovation Fund project in August 2021.2
1. Background
In a project selected for New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) green innovation funding, JGC is collaborating with Asahi Kasei to develop an integrated control system for optimized green chemical plant operation in production of chemicals such as green ammonia, which uses hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources as feedstock. Demonstrating this system at a green chemical plant is another facet of the project.
In promoting wider adoption of green chemicals synthesized with hydrogen derived from renewable energy, it has been difficult to ensure stable and efficient chemical production using renewable energy sources that fluctuate with the weather, the time of day, and the seasons. To date, JGC Holdings has been involved in front-end engineering and design for a plant intended to use hydrogen produced at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) in Namie, and in defining requirements for the integrated control system. The present agreement confirms that the pilot plant will be built in Namie. Equipped with this integrated control system, it will be capable of producing 4 tons of ammonia per day.
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2. Signing ceremony commemorating the site agreement
A ceremony was held at Michinoeki Namie in Namie today at 11:00 a.m. near the pilot plant construction site. In attendance were Namie Mayor Eiko Yoshida and Senior Executive Officer Masahiro Aika of JGC Holdings, technology commercialization officer and general manager of the Sustainability Co-Creation Dept
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From left to right, Eiko Yoshida（Namie）, Masahiro Aika（JGC Holdings）3. Pilot project overview and schedule
The plans call for ammonia to be synthesized at the pilot plant using hydrogen produced by Asahi Kasei at the alkaline water electrolysis system at FH2R as feedstock.
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Plant construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023, with startup expected during fiscal 2024. The pilot program will continue until fiscal 2026, and through this demonstration, JGC Holdings will refine this green ammonia production technology, as the integrated control system is verified and further improved. Results from the pilot plant will also be applied by Asahi Kasei in another large pilot plant for green chemical production planned for fiscal 2027 and beyond. -
4. Future policies
Green ammonia production employing hydrogen derived from renewable energy is expected to support low-carbon ammonia production. JGC Holdings will apply insight from this project to establish efficient and stable green ammonia production technology using renewably sourced hydrogen as feedstock.
1 Start of green chemical plant demonstration project utilizing large-scale hydrogen production system
(JGC Holdings press release)
https://www.jgc.com/en/news/assets/pdf/20210826e.pdf
2 Adoption as a Green Innovation Fund project (NEDO press release)
https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101471.html
Green ammonia pilot project
| Framework |
Joint project of JGC Holdings and Asahi Kasei Large-scale alkaline water electrolysis system development and green chemical plant demonstration project |
|---|---|
| Overview |
• Ammonia production using hydrogen derived from renewable energy • Development and use of an integrated control system that optimizes plant operations |
| Period | Second half of FY2022-end of FY2026 |
| Location | Tanashio Industrial Area, Namie, Fukushima |
| Site area | Approx. 9,000 m2 |
| Ammonia production capacity | 4 tons per day |
Schematic overview of project
Facility as planned