- FuelPositive’s modular system uses 30% less energy than conventional grey ammonia (“NH3”) production processes
- The company’s system produces green ammonia from water, air, and sustainable electricity, and solves the supply puzzle highlighted in an IEEE Spectrum article
- Green Ammonia is gaining favor in the global shipping industry, where stakeholders agreed in 2018 to halve 2008 CO2 emissions levels by 2050
A document leak reported by BBC News in the runup to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (“COP26”) showed divided opinions around climate change, with countries trying to change the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) report. A UN body mandated with investigating the science of climate change, the IPCC releases assessment reports every six to seven years, the latest of which was meant to offer vital input to negotiations at the COP26, which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31 through November 12.
The leak revealed countries, such as Saudi Arabia (one of the largest oil producers), Australia (a major coal exporter), and Japan, are urging the UN to play down the need to replace fossil fuels, arguing that the world does not need to reduce the use of this carbon-emitting source of energy as quickly as the IPCC draft report had recommended ().
Fossil fuels – natural gas, oil, and coal – currently supply roughly 80% of the world’s energy (). As a result, they drive economies such as Saudi Arabia’s and Australia’s and whole sectors such as maritime transport, but always at the expense of the environment. According to the IPCC, the combustion of fossil fuels contributes 85% of CO2 emissions (https://ibn.fm/OQoMW). The Global Carbon Project separately estimates that fossil emissions will top 36.4 billion tons of CO2, down a mere 0.8% from pre-pandemic levels of 36.7 billion tons in 2019 (https://ibn.fm/yvTzZ).
Of these numbers, fossil-fuel-reliant maritime shipping contributes about 3%, according to the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”), a UN body tasked with regulating the industry. In 2018, stakeholders in the industry agreed to halve 2008 emission levels by 2050, and as a February IEEE Spectrum article report notes, “meeting that target will require swift and widespread development of diesel-fuel alternatives and new design for freighters, tankers, and container ships” ().
The article, which offers detailed evaluations of the available options, cites and explores green ammonia (“NH3”) as a diesel alternative gaining favor in the global shipping industry. The reasons given for this are that ammonia is a colorless fuel that emits no carbon dioxide when burned. Moreover, it can be made using renewable energy, air, and water, and both internal combustion engines and fuel cells can use it.
“Shipowners and industry analysts say they expect ammonia to play a pivotal role in decarbonizing cargo ships. But there’s a crucial caveat: No vessels of any size today are equipped to use the fuel. Even if they were, the supply of renewable, or ‘green’ ammonia produced using carbon-neutral methods is virtually nonexistent,” the article continues.
While the supply of green ammonia production using carbon-neutral methods may have been nonexistent at the time IEEE Spectrum published the article, this is no longer the case thanks to efforts by FuelPositive (TSX.V: NHHH) (OTCQB: NHHHF), a company committed to clean energy solutions such as green NH3 for use in various applications.
FuelPositive’s flagship offering, which is currently under development with National Compressed Air Canada, is a patent-pending modular, scalable solution that produces green ammonia from water, air, and sustainable electricity. The first prototype system is slated for deployment in a demonstration pilot project in the summer of 2022. This solution solves several concerns highlighted in the IEEE Spectrum article relating to conventional ammonia production.
Traditionally produced (“grey”) ammonia is made via the Haber-Bosch process, an energy-intensive process that requires high temperature (roughly 500°C) and pressure (20-40 MPa). This process accounts for 500 million metric tons or 1.8% of the global CO2 emissions from human activities. Notably, however, these figures do not consider emissions from hydrogen production, which itself is equally energy-intensive and emits carbon monoxide and small quantities of carbon dioxide. This means overall emissions are considerably higher.
FuelPositive’s system solves the emissions problem associated with hydrogen production by using electrolyzers that split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. The system, which is also equipped with a proprietary reactor, then combines nitrogen from the air with hydrogen in a process that requires lower temperature and pressure than Haber-Bosch.
As a result, FuelPositive says, its system requires less energy than conventional grey ammonia production processes, with no carbon emissions. In addition, the end product of green anhydrous ammonia is about 40% cheaper to an end user based off a Manitoba, Canada case study (https://ibn.fm/8f3VB).
With multiple uses such as powering maritime shipping and the transport sector in general, eliminating fertilizer-related carbon emissions in the agriculture sector, and offering long-term storage of excess electricity for energy grids, FuelPositive is the solution proponents of measures to curb climate change seek/need.
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