Japanese energy company Jera is testing the international market for clean ammonia with a call for long-term supplies to co-fuel part of Japan’s largest coal-fired power plant at Hekinan on the Chita peninsula.

Jera, a joint venture between Japanese utilities Tokyo Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power, is trialling co-firing at the plant and aims to switch 20pc of the fuel at the station’s 1GW Unit 4 to ammonia by the late 2020s.

“Given the steady progress of this demonstration project, Jera has decided to consider fuel ammonia suppliers in parallel and to conduct an international competitive bid,” the company says.

Jera has approached more than 30 companies with a request for interest in supplying up to 500,000t/yr of ammonia under a long-term deal starting in the 2027 financial year and running into the 2040s. “As a rule, CO₂ is either not generated during ammonia production or is captured and stored,” Jera says in the tender documents. The company adds it is also seeking “the opportunity to participate in production projects”.

500,000t/yr – Clean ammonia requested by Jera in potential long-term contracts

Jera says it will evaluate the proposals received and look to start more detailed discussions with multiple potential suppliers by around May of this year.

The company says it will work to establish and expand the supply chain for green fuels such as ammonia by expanding commercial flow in cooperation with domestic utilities.

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Author: Stuart Penson