KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd's (TNB) wholly-owned subsidiaries, together with IHI Power System Malaysia Sdn Bhd (IPSM) and Petronas Hydrogen Sdn Bhd, have successfully conducted an ammonia co-combustion test as part of a joint initiative to decarbonise the country's power sector.
In a statement, TNB said the ammonia and coal co-combustion test was recently carried out at one of its subsidiaries, TNB Research Sdn Bhd's (TNBR) test rig facility in Kajang, Selangor.
"The experiment's main objective is to determine the impact of co-firing ammonia as a carbon-free fuel together with coal in a coal-fired power generation system.
"Theoretically, ammonia co-firing could significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which suppresses nitrogen oxides while stabilising combustion," it said.
TNB said the experiment of ammonia co-firing was successful, with CO2 and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions being reduced following the co-firing rate.
"In addition, no generic ammonia was detected at the exit of the furnace during the experiment.
"The flame temperature for both cases of coal and co-firing does not vary significantly.
"The result seems to be in favour of the experiment objective towards decarbonisation, which would be a great opportunity for TNB to move forward in having pilot plants upon obtaining approval from the authorities," it added.
The co-combustion test was led by IPSM, an expert in the development of ammonia combustion technology.
Petronas Hydrogen's role in the experiment was to supply ammonia and the associated equipment, while TNBR, which owned the test rig facility, supported the experiment through co-combustion execution that included manpower, utility, and measurement devices.
Another TNB subsidiary, TNB Power Generation Sdn Bhd (TNB Genco), provided three types of coal currently being used in its existing coal power plant for the experiment.