PRESS RELEASE
May 28th, 2018

Ammonia Synthesis Demonstration Plant Begins Operation
Initial Step Toward Realization of Hydrogen Energy Carriers
JGC Corporation
Yokohama Japan – JGC Corporation announced today the start-up of a demonstration
plant featuring the use of a new ammonia synthetic catalyst jointly studied with theNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(AIST) under theauspices of the Cross Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program※2(SIP) “EnergyCarriers※1”(Management Entity: JST), led by the Cabinet Office Council for Science,
Technology and Innovation※3, to demonstrate the use of a synthetic ammonia process.
<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.

<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” 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”.
JGC, together with the AIST and the National Institute of Technology, Numazu College aswell as our subsidiary, JGC Catalysts & Chemicals Ltd., we have done research andexperimentation with organic compounds and catalysts and developed processes
through which a catalyst that will allow the efficient production of ammonia even under
low temperature/low pressure conditions.
Responding to the successful development of the new catalyst for producing ammonia,JGC has constructed a demonstration plant for its use at the the Fukushima Renewable
Energy Institute, AIST in Koriyama-city, Fukushima-prefecture, which is capable ofproducing ammonia at the rate of 20kg per day. The demonstration plant will be operated
until the end of 2018.
With a view to developing methods for the efficient and stable use of ammonia as ahydrogen energy carrier, JGC plans to proceed with the application of hydrogenproduced through the electrolysis of water using 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 the
traditional 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.
<Attachments>
Attachment 1: Development Outline
Attachment 2: Ammonia Production Process
Attachment 3: Overall Development Schedule

<Ammonia Synthesis Demonstration Plant>【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 gasMethane
As 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

N2
Air

Low temperature/
Low pressure

CO2

Attachment 2

Attachment 3

Overall Development Schedule2013
1. Development ofproduction catalyst
2. Ammonia Production
Construction of thetest plant
3. Ammonia production
demonstration test
4. Production of ammonia employing
Hydrogen produced by means ofElectrolysis using renewable energy

20142015

2016

20172018

2019