From the creation of storage facilities through the production and delivery of hydrogen through ammonia cracking, South Korea’s national oil and gas corporation teamed up with two local enterprises to form a hydrogen-ammonia value chain.
At high pressures and temperatures, a chemical reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen produces ammonia. Because the production, storage, transportation, and distribution of ammonia is less difficult than that of other fossil fuels, decarbonizing ammonia production is an important aspect of the worldwide transition to net-zero emissions.
In high-temperature fuel cells, internal combustion engines, and gas turbines, ammonia may be utilized directly as a fuel. Ammonia cracking is the process of breaking down ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen over a catalyst to broaden the variety of applications for ammonia as an energy carrier.
Hanwha Corporation and Wonik Materials have inked a commercial collaboration agreement with Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), which has infrastructure for storing, accumulating, and providing hydrogen utilizing oil reserve depots. “It will be a fantastic chance to discuss and collaborate with each company’s experiences and know-how,” said Kim Dong-sub, CEO of KNOC.
Wonik Materials, a South Korean specialty gas company, has the technology to construct an ammonia cracking system. Hanwha Corp. has utilized ammonia to make nitric acid, which is a component of gunpowder. The two firms have already collaborated on a project to build an ammonia supply system at a demonstration area in Chungju, South Korea.
“We expect that this business partnership will pave the way for a seamless supply of environmentally friendly ammonia-based clean hydrogen to large-scale hydrogen demand, such as power plants and industrial facilities,” said Kim Maeng-Yoon, CEO of Hanwha Corp.’s worldwide unit.
KNOC is working on a proposal to construct a hub terminal that will store and distribute hydrogen and ammonia generated in other countries to power plants and hydrogen charging stations. Although ammonia fuel generation is an excellent environmentally friendly model since it produces no carbon dioxide, the combustion speed of ammonia as a power generating fuel is slower than natural gas.
A government task force was established in November 2021 to accelerate the commercialization of hydrogen and ammonia-based power production technologies. Because they eliminate fine dust and other air pollutants, gas turbines have become one of the most extensively utilized power generation technologies.
