Ammonia Co-firing: India's Potential Solution for Decarbonizing Thermal Power Plants
Key Ideas
  • India's power sector heavily relies on coal, contributing significantly to carbon emissions. Decarbonizing thermal plants is a top priority.
  • Ammonia co-firing, particularly green ammonia, is a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions in thermal power generation.
  • Collaboration between industry and academia, along with policy support, is crucial for advancing ammonia co-firing technology in India.
  • The adoption of ammonia co-firing can help India achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution and net zero aspirations while transforming the power sector.
India's power sector, largely dependent on coal for base load power, is exploring innovative strategies to reduce carbon emissions. Ammonia co-firing, a method that involves mixing ammonia with coal to lower carbon emissions, has emerged as a promising solution. Initial tests have shown success, with projections of commercial operations beginning by 2025. Ammonia co-firing could potentially reduce carbon emissions by 10% and create a substantial market demand for ammonia, estimated at $100 billion by 2050. The partnership between Japan and India, through the Clean Energy Partnership, has initiated a pilot project at Adani's Mundra thermal power plant to test up to 20% green ammonia co-firing. Cost, however, remains a significant hurdle, with estimates indicating higher costs compared to renewable energy sources. India seeks to leverage its significant thermal capacity and plans for green hydrogen or ammonia production to drive ammonia co-firing. Collaboration between industry and academia, along with a robust policy framework, is essential to support this transition. The development of carbon markets and incentives for co-firing technologies can further promote the adoption of ammonia co-firing. Pilot projects with state generation companies are crucial to demonstrating the benefits and scaling up this technology for widespread adoption. By achieving economies of scale, India aims to make green ammonia co-firing cost-effective and transformative for its power sector, aligning with its Nationally Determined Contribution and net zero goals.
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