Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, a key player in South Korea's power industry, joined hands with POSCO to develop power generation technologies that break ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen gas through a cracker and burn them to operate a gas turbine.
POSCO and the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) would develop an ammonia cracker. Doosan Heavy will develop a gas turbine and a combustor that burns decomposed hydrogen and nitrogen together. RIST's ammonia combustion experimental facilities will be utilized for technology development.
Ammonia is a combination of hydrogen and nitrogen and is considered the best material for the efficient and economical transportation of hydrogen. Ammonia fuel generation is considered an ideal eco-friendly model because it does not emit any carbon dioxide. However, the combustion speed of ammonia as a fuel for power generation is far lower than liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is a conventional gas turbine fuel. POSCO said that ammonia gas turbine technology can be applied to LNG power generation.
In an effort to reduce the use of fossil fuel and nuclear power for electricity generation, South Korea is gradually switching to renewable energy sources. In July, a consultative group involving research institutes and companies was formed to establish a value chain that covers the production, transport, extraction and utilization of green ammonia.
In early March, POSCO signed a business agreement with Australia's energy company, ORIGIN ENERGY, to import ammonia. Origin would produce green hydrogen using hydroelectric power in Tasmania, an island state of Australia. After a feasibility study, the two companies will consider synthesizing hydrogen into ammonia for delivery into South Korea.
Gas turbines have become one of the most widely-used power generating technologies because they reduce the emission of fine dust and other air pollutants. South Korea has presented a goal to commercialize a 300MW homemade hydrogen gas turbine by 2040. As a bridge power in energy conversion, a standard model of LNG turbines will be developed.
In June, Doosan Heavy joined a project to demonstrate mixed hydrogen combustion technologies that burn natural gas together with hydrogen. The project in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan is part of a government campaign to secure original gas turbine technologies.
