Singapore is about to begin one of the first commercial projects in the world to use ammonia for bunkering and power generation. The country’s Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said on October 23 that an international supply chain and the technology for transporting ammonia are well established.
The country has set its sights on using hydrogen for about 50% of its energy needs by 2050. Ammonia also has the potential to be used directly as fuel for power generation and maritime shipping, Gan said while speaking on the first day of Singapore International Energy Week at Marina Bay Sands. The event ran till October 27.
Ammonia is formed when hydrogen combines with nitrogen from ambient air. As a hydrogen carrier, it can be stored at room temperature, and is easy to transport. A clean fuel, hydrogen does not produce any planet-warming carbon dioxide when burned.
To be located on Jurong Island, the project will involve developing an end-to-end ammonia solution to generate 55MW to 65MW of electricity from imported low-carbon or zero-carbon ammonia via direct combustion in a gas turbine or combined cycle gas turbine, said the Energy Market Authority on October 23.
The project developer will also have to facilitate ammonia bunkering at a capacity of at least 100,000 tonnes per annum, starting with shore-to-ship bunkering, followed by ship-to-ship bunkering.
