INPEX, IHI, MOL show UAE/Japan clean ammonia supply chain

INPEX CORPORATION (INPEX), IHI Corporation (IHI) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), announced they have executed the demonstration of a clean ammonia supply chain linking the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan.

The clean ammonia used for the demonstration was supplied by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). It was produced by Fertiglobe, a joint venture between ADNOC and OCI N.V. that is a key supplier of ammonia, using natural gas produced in Abu Dhabi. Most of the CO2 emitted from the production of the ammonia was sequestered and injected into Abu Dhabi onshore oil fields in which INPEX has a participating interest, making it clean ammonia.

INPEX oversaw the entire process of the demonstration in close partnership with ADNOC. MOL transported the clean ammonia to Japan in an ISO tank container (designed and manufactured to ISO standards for the transportation of liquids) with the support of Nippon Concept Corporation, in which the company holds shares. IHI utilised the clean ammonia to conduct a combustion experiment using an ammonia combustion turbine which is under development. SHOWA DENKO K.K. also provided support and cooperation in the transportation of the clean ammonia. Furthermore, his excellency Shihab Al Faheem, ambassador of the UAE to Japan, was in attendance for the delivery of the clean ammonia to IHI.

Ammonia is advantageous when used as an energy carrier (as a mode of storage and transportation) and emits no CO2 when combusted. It is therefore expected to be utilised as fuel for power generation and marine transportation in line with global movements toward a decarbonised society.

As outlined in its “INPEX Vision@2022” announced on February 9, 2022, INPEX positions the development of a hydrogen and ammonia business as one of the company’s five net zero businesses and seeks to commercialise three or more projects by around 2030 while aiming to produce and supply 100 thousand tonnes or more of hydrogen/ammonia per year. The company will continue to work towards building a hydrogen and ammonia supply chain linking Japan and Abu Dhabi, one of INPEX’s core business areas, in cooperation with the Japanese government and customers as well as ADNOC, with which it has closely partnered for almost 50 years.

INPEX will also proactively address energy structure reforms to contribute to the realisation of a net zero carbon society by 2050 while continuing to fulfil its responsibility of developing and providing a stable and efficient supply of energy to its customers. IHI is actively promoting the creation of The Ammonia Value Chain including developing Ammonia utilisation technology to achieve carbon neutrality. This demonstration is important because it is necessary to bring together the parties who are related to production, transportation, storage and utilisation in shared efforts to create The Ammonia Value Chain.

IHI will keep developing technologies that leverage ammonia as an energy source that helps produce a cleaner world and contributes to a carbon-neutral society by 2050 via providing carbon-neutral solutions, not only through ammonia utilisation technology to reduce CO2 but also using carbon recycling technology for the effective re-use of CO2.

In June 2021, the MOL Group announced a target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 in “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1”, which laid out the group’s approach to global environmental issues. The MOL Group will steadily accumulate a track record in safe, reliable transport of ammonia, which is expected to be in high demand as a next generation clean energy source and contribute to the realisation of a decarbonised society through proactive participation in a broad range of value chains.