Overview of the Kashiwazaki Clean Hydrogen and Ammonia Project in Niigata Prefecture

Abstract

Ammonia, despite being a hazardous substance, serves as a feedstock for fertilizers, chemicals, and deNOx processes in thermal power plants, with established handling and storage methods. In the pursuit of a decarbonized society, reducing carbon emissions across various industries, including power generation and transportation, has gained momentum. Ammonia as a fuel, noted for its non-CO₂ emitting combustion, is a promising option, particularly in reducing CO₂ emissions when co-fired with coal in thermal power plants.

Currently, ammonia is primarily produced from natural gas using a steam methene reforming （SMR） process combined with the Haber-Bosch method, which emits CO₂. Hence, developing and cost-reducing production technologies for blue ammonia is imperative.

The ammonia production process from natural gas has been highly optimized by process licensors, yet integrating CCS for decarbonization presents several challenges. INPEX has proposed a novel process combining cold energy utilization, ATR process, low-pressure ammonia synthesis, and high-pressure CO₂ recovery, demonstrating higher efficiency in blue ammonia production compared to conventional methods.

A small-scale yet comprehensive demonstration plan for this blue ammonia production process has been devised. The test site selected is the Hirai area in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, owing to the proximity to our pipeline and the availability of domestically sourced natural gas. Additionally, the site benefits from existing gas fields with long-term production data and known reservoir characteristics suitable for CO₂ injection.

This demonstration involves producing hydrogen from natural gas, capturing and compressing the resultant CO₂, and injecting it into the Higashi-Kashiwazaki gas field. The blue hydrogen will then be used for ammonia production and power generation, representing an integrated demonstration from blue hydrogen production to its application.

This trial is positioned as a critical initiative towards fulfilling our company’s long-term goals in hydrogen and CCUS sectors.