Riyadh – Mubasher: The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Japan’s Institute of Energy Economics(IEEJ), in partnership with the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), demonstrated the production and shipment of blue ammonia from Saudi Arabia to Japan with support from the Japanese economy and trade ministry.

Forty tonnes of high-grade blue ammonia have already been dispatched to Japan for use in zero-carbon power generation, according to a press release on Sunday.

The announcement comes amidst growing appreciation of the role hydrogen will play in the global energy system. Ammonia, a compound consisting of three parts hydrogen and one part nitrogen, releases zero CO2 emissions when combusted in a thermal power plant and has the potential to make a significant contribution to an affordable and reliable low-carbon energy future.

“The use of hydrogen is expected to grow in the global energy system, and this world’s first demonstration represents an exciting opportunity for Aramco to showcase the potential of hydrocarbons as a reliable and affordable source of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia,” said Aramco’s chief technology officer, Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter.

For his part, chairman and CEO of IEEJ, Toyoda Masakazu, remarked, “Blue ammonia is critical to Japan’s zero carbon emission ambitions to sustain the balance between the environment and the economy. About 10% of power in Japan can be generated by 30 million tonnes of blue ammonia.”

Vice president of Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management at SABIC, Fahad Al Sherehy, concluded, “At SABIC, we can economically leverage our existing infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia production with CO2 capture. Our experience in the full supply chain along with integrated petrochemicals facilities will play an important role in providing blue ammonia to the world.”