PRESS RELEASE
October 19th, 2018

World’s First Successful Ammonia Synthesis Using
Renewable Energy-Based Hydrogen and Power Generation
Progress Toward Realization of Hydrogen Energy Carriers
JGC CorporationYokohama Japan – JGC Corporation and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST; hereinafter referred to together as the JGC Group), under
the auspices of the Cross Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program*1 (SIP)“Energy Carriers” (Management Entity: JST), led by the Cabinet Office Council for
Science, Technology and Innovation*2, announced today that its joint study has resulted
in the world’s first success in the synthesis of ammonia with hydrogen produced throughthe electrolysis of water by renewable energy, and generation of electricity through gas
turbines fueled by synthesized ammonia.
<Outline of Current Research and Development>
Since 2014, JGC, based on its evaluation of the use of ammonia as an energy carrier has
participated in the SIP “Energy Carriers”*3 research title “New Catalysts for producing
Ammonia and the Use of Hydrogen Produced Through the Electolysis of Water by
Renewable Energy for the Production of Ammonia”.
In May this year, JGC, together with the AIST and the National Institute of Technology,
Numazu College, as well as our subsidiary, JGC Catalysts & Chemicals Ltd., achieved
success in development of a new ruthenium catalyst*4 capable of efficiently synthesizing
ammonia at a low temperature and low pressure through improvement of carrier andcatalyst production methods using catalysts. The JGC began operation of ademonstration plant (capable of producing ammonia at the rate of 20 kg per day) thatsynthesized ammonia using a high purity hydrogen gas cylinder installed on the premisesof the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, AIST in Koriyama City, Fukushima
Prefecture for this catalyst and temporary hydrogen provision.
Through this demonstration plant, together with confirming the high activity at a lowtemperature and pressure of the newly developed catalyst, the JGC Group verified theenabling of a change in ammonia production volume through rapid operational conditionchanges when using renewable energy, which was an issue. At this time, instead of thehigh purity hydrogen gas cylinder used for the demonstration plant, the JGC Grouptested synthesis of ammonia using hydrogen produced through electrolysis of water
through power generated by solar power equipment installed on the same premises, andrealized a demonstration plant (power generation: 47 kW) through gas turbines fueled bysynthesized ammonia.
Furthermore, cooperation was received from the Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute,
AIST for the test of hydrogen production, and cooperation was received from the SIP
Energy Carriers (Ammonia Direct Combustion) Team for the test of ammonia gas turbine

power generation.
This is the first case in the world of hydrogen that utilizes renewable energy from the JGCGroup, as well as power generation fueled by ammonia production and this, andadvances the establishment of an energy chain that utilizes ammonia that does not emit
CO2 (CO2-free) from production to power generation.
Going forward, the JGC Group will continue to carry out the ammonia synthesis test andresearch and development toward cost reduction of ammonia production utilizing
renewable energy, together with actively working toward energy diversification andrealizing a low-carbon society by achieving the vision promoted by SIP Energy Carriers
research of “Japan creating an innovative low-carbon, hydrogen-fueled economy andtaking the lead in hydrogen related industries on the world market” by the year 2030.
<Ammonia Synthesis Demonstration Plant>(The red cylinder at the front of the photograph is a high purity hydrogen cylinder storinghydrogen produced from renewable energy.)※1 Energy Carriers
A method by which hydrogen, which is difficult to store or transport over long distances,can be made easier to handle by changing it to liquid form.
※2 Cross Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program
The Overall technical research and development Innovation Council is not bound by thetraditional sectionalism of individual ministries and seeks new paths toward achieving
innovation and technical progress.
※3 Council for Science, Technology and Innovation
Under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister responsible for technology,
this is one of the “important policy making bodies” which leads the work of various
ministries with regard to the development of basic and and innovative technicaladvances.
※4 Ruthenium Catalyst
Although we sought a reaction at a high temperature and pressure of about 400-500℃
and 14-30 MPa for an iron-type catalyst using the “Haber-Bosch Process,” theruthenium catalyst newly developed this time is able to synthesize ammonia at a lowtemperature and pressure of below about 400℃ and 5 MPa. The catalyst developed thistime is able use rare earth oxides as carriers, and has excellent stability compared to theruthenium catalyst that utilizes carbon-type carriers that is already being produced.
【Reference】<Research and Development Framework>
Currently, amid a world-wide drive toward preserving the environment and creating asustainable society and where new forms of energy are being sought in the bid to realize
a low-carbon world, the use of hydrogen, which produces no carbon dioxide(CO2) whenburnt is receiving increased attention. Since 2014, the Cabinet Office, in its “Cross
Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program(SIP)”, has expressed Japan’s
intention to create an innovative low-carbon, hydrogen-fueled economy by the year 2030
and to take the lead in hydrogen related industries on the world market through its“Energy Carriers” research.
<Advantages of Ammonia as an Energy Carrier>
In order to make real use of hydrogen as an energy source, questions of cost and safety
arise together with the topics of efficiency of transport and storage, meaning that the useof an energy carrier method for hydrogen such as ammonia is required. Not only doesammonia contain a large amount of hydrogen, is easily liquefied and emits no CO2 whenburned, it is already widely used as a fertilizer meaning that a supply chain is in place.
These factors make it an ideal energy carrier for hydrogen.
<Problems Related to the Method of Manufacturing Ammonia>
At present, natural gas is used as the fuel for producing ammonia; the hydrogen andnitrogen obtained through reforming steam and air at high temperature and pressure in
the presence of a catalyst produces ammonia in what is called the “Haber-BoschProcess”. As this process results in the emission of large quantities of CO2, this has been
seen as a barrier to the use of ammonia as a hydrogen energy carrier.
As a means of reducing the amount of CO2 emitted, a method involving the developmentof the use of renewable energy to produce hydrogen from water through electrolysis hasreceived attention. However, the hydrogen produced by this method is at low pressure.
For the use of the “Haber-Bosch Process” , high temperature/high pressure condition isnecessary to produce ammonia, meaning that the energy efficiency of the process isreduced.
<Attachments>
Attachment 1: Development Outline
Attachment 2: Ammonia Production Process
Attachment 3: The Energy Chain Utilizing CO2-Free Ammonia Tested this Time【Contact】<Main Article>
Akihiro Yamagami / Haruki Fujiwara
PR & IR Department
JGC Corporation
TEL：81-45-682-8026
E-mail：yamagami.akihiro@jgc.com
fujiwara.haruki＠jgc.com

<SIP Function>
TEL：81-36-257-1337
Council of Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office
6th floor, Central Common Government Offices No.8,
1-6-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8914
http://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/gaiyo/sip/Development Outline
Hydrogen Energy Carrier

Liquid Hydrogen
Organic HydrideAmmonia

Attachment 1

Composition of Ammonia(Hydrogen + Nitrogen = Ammonia)<Features of the Traditional Method>
・Steam is created by burning natural gas or similar fuel・Synthesis Process Under High Temperature/High Pressure Condition
・The raw material, hydrogen, is under high pressure
・Large quantities of CO2 are emitted in the production of hydrogen・Cost effectiveness varies with the price of natural gas

MethaneAs a solution

Background of the development
Ammonia production process using
renewable energy to produce
the raw hydrogen through electrolysis(Features)
・No CO2 is emitted in the production of the hydrogen
・The hydrogen produced is at low pressure・The catalysts used previously were not efficient・Easy to vary the quantity of hydrogen produced when
renewable energy is used

Developments by JGC
Demonstration test of the catalysts for the new ammonia
production process
Development and testing of new catalysts that will function under low temperature/lowpressure conditions
Construction and operation of the demonstration plant for the new catalysts

Production of Ammonia Using Renewable Energy
Ammonia production tests employing hydrogen produced by electrolysis using
renewable energy

Ammonia Production Process

New Ammonia Production Process

Air
Electrolysis of water

Renewable Energy
・Photo-voltaic
・Solar power
・Wind power
・Hydro-electric

O2

H2O

Fossil Fuels
・Natural gas
・Oil・CoalReforming/
Gassification

N2

Catalyst

Ammonia

H2

Haber-Bosch Process
High temperature/
High pressure

H2

Ammonia

Catalyst

N2Air

Low temperature/
Low pressure

CO2

Attachment 2

Attachment 3

The Energy Chain Utilizing CO2-Free Ammonia Tested this Time
(Utilization of the New Ammonia Synthesis Process)Ammonia production
Electrolysis of water

Supply of generated power

New Ammonia Production ProcessAmmonia
gas turbine

Photo-voltaic

CO2-freehydrogen

Production of CO2-free ammonia
with the demonstration test plantusing the new ammonia synthetic
catalyst developed in May this year.

CO2-freeammonia