Osaka Gas is now tackling an R&D project to develop the combustion of ammonia using a city-gas burner jointly with Daigas Energy of its wholly owned affiliate. 　

Putting the idea in hand in 2012, Osaka Gas started a combustion test at its Carbon Neutral Research Hub from May 2022. They say that they have achieved a stable fuel burning ratio of ammonia using a city-gas burner up to 70% at maximum. 　

The development is based on the aim of decarbonization which lies in the background and responding to the demand for an applicable heat considering its temperature of 1750℃ which is 150℃less than that of the adiabatic flame temperature of city gas. .

The burner under development is based on the “LC Burner” which is a city gas burner developed Osaka Gas for industrial furnaces. The accumulated number of the units sold has reached more than 3300 for a wide range of use from low to high temperatures. As for the ammonia co-combustion, they are making experiments adopting a system to burn an ammonia and city gas mixture.

On the assumption of replacement with the existing burner, there are some issues to solve such as the gradual decrease of nitrogen oxides and unburnt ammonia containing in the waste gas after combustion and also to maintain capabilities similar to city gas with ammonia of low amount of heat. Osaka Gas is going to proceed with its R&D activities tackling these issues.

Osaka Gas has already made out a slogan toward the realization of carbon neutral in 2050 under the title of “Daigas Group Carbon Neutral Vision,” which is the basis of its efforts to decarbonize the material of city gas with methanization as the key factor.

Ammonia has been expected to be taken up as a fuel for thermal power generation for the future. In addition, the industrial furnace users surrounding power generation plants must have some extent of demand. Such situation has made the company go ahead for the establishment of combustion technology as one of the choices to lower carbon or decarbonize industrial furnaces.