In Japan, Mitsui Chemicals and three other firms are about to demonstrate the feasibility of switching from methane to ammonia as the main fuel for cracking naphtha into petrochemicals. They are not alone. All over Japan, major companies seem to have rediscovered ammonia.

Japan aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 46% of 2013 levels by 2030. Unlike many sources of energy, ammonia emits no carbon dioxide when burned. The Japanese government sees ammonia as a possible energy solution for a country that is wary of nuclear power and has few local options for renewable power.

The new policy could lead Japan to triple its annual ammonia consumption to 4 million metric tons (t) by 2030 Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry says. By 2050, when Japan wants to convert all coal-fired power plants to ammonia, consumption could be 30 million t.

Read in full here:

This thread was posted by one of our members via one of our news source trackers.