The first German-Japanese government consultations are set to happen this weekend. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with some ministers, will travel to Tokyo to talk about energy security, among other things. Japan is a partner and role model for Germany in this area. For Germany, Japan is also a source of ideas for approaching topics differently, particularly in relation to the hope for a hydrogen economy through ammonia (NH3).
Shipowners, in particular, see ammonia as an alternative to dirty ship fuels. In Japan, it is seen as a fuel for power plants, and even as an alternative to coal. One of the pioneers of using ammonia is Japanese heavy industry group, IHI. The company is demonstrating a small two-megawatt turbine in Yokohama, which runs 100% on hydrogen. This technology breakthrough will allow existing power plants to be retrofitted relatively cheaply, especially in Asia.
According to Tatsuya Terazawa, head of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan’s location and geography make it difficult to achieve full renewable energy supply. 90% of Japan’s land mass consists of mountains, often with steep slopes not suitable for solar and wind power plants. Offshore wind turbines also face difficulties due to the weaker winds and strong typhoons in the region. Many industries in Japan require a lot of heat that electricity cannot generate. Hence, low-carbon hydrogen or low-carbon ammonia are the most pragmatic choices for industries looking to make a shift.
Ammonia has a higher energy density than liquid hydrogen and is also cheaper, especially in terms of transport. At atmospheric pressure, hydrogen liquefies at minus 253 degrees Celsius, while ammonia liquefies at minus 33 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 9 bars. Japan’s government is betting on this hydrogen derivative as part of its current energy strategy, looking at hydrogen and ammonia to cover about 10% of Japan’s energy needs. It also allows Japan to import solar and wind power from other countries, such as Australia.
