"Ammonia-hydrogen power generation" created with the Company's technology - Achieving carbon neutrality -

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The expected utilization of hydrogen and ammonia and the role of the Company as an enterprise dealing in fuel

Japan must address environmental risks, such as rising temperatures and climate change caused by increasing CO₂ emissions, as well as economic risks, such as soaring fuel and raw material prices. To address these social issues, the government is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. For the Company, which operates as a business dealing in fuel, this is an important issue that cannot be overlooked, and we are actively working to achieve carbon neutrality. The Green Growth Strategy, announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, sets out 14 promising fields in which future growth is expected, including hydrogen/fuel ammonia. Among these, hydrogen is attracting attention as a clean energy source that does not emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) when burned, and is expected to be used in a wide range of fields such as power generation and transportation. Aisan, as an enterprise dealing in fuel, continues to take on challenges in order to fulfill our role in pursuing the potential of these next-generation energy sources.

Ammonia as a carrier for hydrogen

Hydrogen is expected to be a next-generation energy source because it does not emit CO₂ when used as fuel. However, there are issues with transporting and storing hydrogen in its gaseous state due to its large volume. Therefore, research is being conducted on various hydrogen carriers such as liquid hydrogen, methylcyclohexane, and ammonia as means to efficiently transport and store hydrogen. Ammonia, in particular, is one of the most typical hydrogen carriers and can be used as an energy source.

[Characteristics of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier]
- High hydrogen density allows for large-volume storage and transportation
- Easily liquefied (liquefies at room temperature and 8 atmospheres)

What is ammonia-hydrogen power generation?

Ammonia-hydrogen power generation is a next-generation clean energy technology that extracts hydrogen from ammonia as a fuel and uses that hydrogen to generate electricity.

[Overview and process of ammonia-hydrogen power generation]
(1) Reform: Thermally decomposes ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen 2NH₃→3H₂+N₂
(2) Adsorption/reuse: Adsorbs ammonia that cannot be completely decomposed into hydrogen and nitrogen. Reuse as fuel
(3) Fuel cell (FC) power generation: Generates electricity by reacting extracted hydrogen with oxygen

Knowledge as a fuel handling professional utilized in ammonia-hydrogen power generation

Aisan, which has handled internal combustion engine parts for automobiles for many years, possesses deep knowledge of fuel characteristics and supply/control technologies, with extensive experience in both liquid fuels (e.g., gasoline, alcohol) and gaseous fuels (e.g., LPG, CNG). These have great value not only for automobiles but also in the field of next-generation clean energy utilizing hydrogen and ammonia. For example, although there are issues associated with the use of ammonia, such as its high level of danger and corrosiveness, our experience in handling diverse fuels is useful in solving issues related to ammonia.

■"Ammonia adsorption treatment technology" for ensuring safety and eliminating ammonia waste
If ammonia leaks into the atmosphere, it can cause health hazards and unpleasant odors, so it must be contained. Aisan possesses a canister adsorption technology that prevents gasoline vapors from being emitted into the atmosphere from vehicle fuel tanks. By applying this technology, we prevent emissions into the atmosphere by capturing and ammonia that cannot be decomposed in the thermal decomposition process of ammonia-hydrogen power generation.
There was an issue with the ammonia produced as a byproduct of ammonia-hydrogen power generation, as its concentration was far lower than gasoline vapor, making adsorption difficult. Therefore, we have developed a technology that uses a new adsorbent that takes into account the characteristics of ammonia to capture and then reuse the captured ammonia as fuel. This new technology, made possible by the Company's canister expertise, enables safe, waste-free energy use.

■Ammonia-addressing technology developed from our expertise
One of the issues with ammonia is that it is highly alkaline and easily corrodes many materials. Furthermore, because ammonia has low viscosity, it can cause product wear and shorten the lifespan of components.
Aisan handles various fuels such as gasoline, hydrogen, and gas, and develops materials and designs structures tailored to each fuel’s characteristics. We leverage this expertise to the maximum to develop ammonia-resistant materials and wear-resistant proprietary structures.

Thoughts on promoting the widespread use of ammonia

While ammonia has excellent properties for storage and transportation as a hydrogen carrier, it is still a fuel that few companies have pursued due to technical challenges and safety concerns.
Aisan aims to promote the widespread use of ammonia as a fuel by encouraging other companies to engage in its development, developing safe and efficient handling technologies, sharing our initiatives, and building partnerships.