From the world’s strongest sunlight, making the cheapest ammonia to save Africa and Japan

 Currently, 170 million tons of ammonia are produced worldwide each year, primarily from natural gas. Of this amount, 80% supports food production as fertilizer, while the remaining portion is used as a raw material for chemical products. This production process results in the emission of a significant amount of CO2, accounting for 1.5% of the global total (known as gray ammonia).

In recent years, Japan has developed technology to combust ammonia without generating NOx, enabling its use as a clean fuel for power generation that does not emit CO2 during combustion. Presently, the use of blue ammonia, which is produced by injecting the by-product CO2 back into gas fields, has already begun. However, there is growing anticipation for green ammonia, which is derived from hydrogen produced by water electrolysis powered by renewable energy. As evidence of this trend, it was reported that, by 2023, global plans for CO2-free ammonia production had reached a total of 150 million tons.

However, the reality is that these plans are not progressing as smoothly as hoped. The primary reason is the high cost of green ammonia production, as indicated by feasibility studies. One major cause is the low operational rate of expensive water electrolysis equipment due to the variability and intermittency of solar and wind power, which are affected by weather conditions. Additionally, there are numerous technical challenges that still need to be addressed. These circumstances vary by country and region; however, coastal desert areas offer ideal conditions for the low-cost production of green hydrogen and ammonia.

South Africa, which shares the Namib Desert with a neighboring country, recognized this potential early on and designated the area as a "hydrogen corridor" in 2010, subsequently developing a hydrogen roadmap. In 2021, we secured SATREPS funding from JST and JICA to initiate a joint research and development project with North-West University in South Africa, with the goal of introducing Japanese hydrogen and ammonia technology to the region.

This six-year project, titled "Development of New Ammonia Synthesis System using Renewable Energy and Hydrogen",  is now at its midpoint. To share our achievements and future prospects with domestic and international stakeholders, and to gather candid feedback while fostering further collaboration between Japanese companies and the government, we have planned an international symposium. Although the time will be limited, we will feature invited presentations from the project organizers as well as related organizations and research groups. A poster session will also be held concurrently.

Symposium Overview

Organizer: National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Numazu College, Green Ammonia Research Center

Co-organizer: Hydrogen South Africa (HySA), North-West University, South Africa
Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Japan
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Numazu Chuo High School

Support: Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan
Catalysis Society of Japan
Japan Petroleum Institute
Chemical Society of Japan
Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Japan Society of Energy
Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan
Clean Fuel Ammonia Association(CFAA)

cooperation: Japan Science and Technology Agency(JST)

Date and time: Friday, April 11, 2025
Symposium  13:00~18:50 (reception 12:00~)
Social gathering 19:15~ (reception 19:00~)
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Symposium   9:00~13:45 (reception 8:50~)

Standard language
English (if all exhibits and presentation materials are in English, oral explanations can be in Japanese.

Venue
Symposium : Plaza Verde Convention Hall A-1
(Online participation available)
Social gathering: French Lapin Ajile
(2F Kokochi Hotel Numazu)

Capacity: Approximately 100 people

Symposium fee: Free for those who belong to co-sponsoring, sponsoring, or cooperating institutions and academic societies, and students. For others, please contact the following contact.

Social gathering fee: General ¥10,000, Students ¥2,000
Please pay at the reception desk at the reception venue (cash only). Students are requested to present their student ID at the reception. A receipt will be issued on the day.

Participant registration: Registration is required.
  Please register by April 8, 2025. If you wish to attend, please complete the registration form below titled "Symposium Registration" and click the   送信   button to register.

If you would like to participate, please fill out the "Symposium Registration" form below and click the submit button to register.

For on-site participants, a registration certificate will be sent to the email address provided around the end of March.  Please print and bring it with you on the day of the event.
For online participants, a Zoom participation guide will be sent.

Enquiries: numazugarc@gmail.com