Malaysian state-owned utility TNB's wholly-owned subsidiaries TNB Research (TNBR) and TNB Power Generation have carried out the country's first test of co-firing ammonia for a coal-fired power generation system, aimed at decarbonising the country's power sector.
The test was a joint initiative with the hydrogen arm of state-owned oil firm Petronas and Malaysian operation and maintenance services firm IHI Power System. It was done at TNBR's test rig facility in Kajang, Selangor, with Petronas Hydrogen supplying the ammonia and associated equipment.
The main objective of the test was to determine the impact of co-firing ammonia with coal in a coal-fired power generation system, as using carbon-free ammonia as a fuel allows for significant reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, TNB said on 7 August.
The ammonia co-firing resulted in reduced CO2 and sulphur dioxide emissions in accordance with the co-firing rate, according to TNB. The test was done using three types of commonly used coal in Malaysian coal-fired power plants, with the ammonia ratio increased gradually from 0pc up to 60pc for each coal type.
TNB aims to use ammonia at its coal-fired power plants as part of its sustainability strategy, which is to reduce carbon emissions intensity and coal generation capacity by 35pc and 50pc respectively by 2035, in line with the government's target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45pc by 2030.
TNB operates 12.2GW of coal-fired capacity in Malaysia and imports coal from Indonesia, Australia and Russia. It said that it is looking to fast-track the retirement of some of its coal-fired power plants, such as the 1.4GW Kapar Energy Ventures facility, and repower old plants with new green technology.
Coal-fired output accounts for more than 50pc of Malaysia's power generation mix, although this is expected to fall to 20pc by 2039, according to the head of operations at coal procurement firm TNB Fuel Services Izham Hassan.
The Malaysian government previously said that it plans to retire around 7GW of coal-fired capacity by 2039.
