World's First: Resonac Supplies Ammonia Made from Recycled Used Plastics for Fuel Purposes

July 17, 2024
Resonac Holdings Corporation

Resonac Corporation (President: Hidehito Takahashi, hereinafter referred to as "Resonac") has supplied its environment-friendly low-carbon ammonia to the ammonia-fueled tugboat (hereinafter referred to as "A-Tug"), which is scheduled to be completed in late August by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (hereinafter referred to as "NYK Line") as the world's first*¹ commercial ammonia-fueled vessel. The supplied ammonia is produced by recycling used plastics, marking the first time in the world*² that ammonia derived from used plastics has been supplied for fuel purposes.

 

The supply of fuel ammonia to A-Tug was conducted today at the Honmoku Pier in Yokohama Port, with the cooperation of the Yokohama Municipal Port Authority. As announced on April 10, 2024, the supply of fuel ammonia to ships via the Truck to Ship method*³ is a world's first*⁴. Prior to the supply, stakeholders including NYK Line, JERA Co., Inc., and Resonac held discussions to establish a safe operation method for the supply and to build a safe transportation and acceptance system in the port area, successfully completing the world's first fuel supply operation safely and smoothly.

Ammonia, which emits no carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned, is attracting attention as a next-generation fuel that contributes to mitigation of global warming. Resonac's ammonia "ECOANN" supplied to A-Tug is produced through "Plastic Chemical Recycling," utilizing used plastics discharged from households and businesses as part of the raw materials. Resonac’s ammonia achieves "more than 80% reduction in CO2 emissions"*5 by not using fossil fuels or energy derived from fossil fuels in the production process. Since succeeding in the production of ammonia using Japan's first domestic technology at its Kawasaki plant in 1931, Resonac has contributed to the stable supply of ammonia in Japan for over 90 years. Utilizing the know-how accumulated over the years, Resonac will continue stably producing low-carbon ammonia and safely transport and supplying it to vessels.

■Chemical Plastic Recycling (KPR)
Resonac’s Kawasaki Plant (located in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture) has been implementing "Plastic Chemical Recycling," which recycles used plastics into raw materials for chemicals such as hydrogen and ammonia, since 2003. (We refer to this process as "Kawasaki Plastic Recycling (KPR)" within Resonac.) The used plastics are gasified at hot temperatures and decomposed into the molecular level to extract hydrogen and CO2. No fossil fuels are used during steady-state operation. A portion of the hydrogen extracted here is utilized at nearby plants as chemical raw materials and at hydrogen stations for fuel cell vehicles. The rest is primarily used as a raw material for ammonia, which is then used for production of synthetic fibers, synthetic resins, chemical fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and more. Meanwhile, the CO2 is used within our group companies as raw material for dry ice, carbonated drinks, and medical carbon dioxide gas, without being released into the atmosphere, thus realizing resource circulation and contributing to the creation of a sustainable and prosperous society. KPR is the only plant in the world that has been stably operating gasification chemical recycling for over 20 years.

 

 

• *1 According to research by NYK Line.
• *2 According to research by Resonac. This is the first instance in the world where ammonia produced by recycling used plastics has been supplied for fuel purposes.
• *3 Truck to Ship method: A method of fuel supply to vessels, where fuel is transferred from a tank lorry to the vessel using a flexible hose.
• *4 According to research by NYK Line. This is the first instance in the world where ammonia fuel is supplied via Truck to Ship method to a commercially operating ammonia-fueled vessel.
• *5 When compared to ammonia made entirely from fossil fuels, ammonia made from 100% recycled used plastics achieves a reduction of more than 80% in CO2 emissions.
  Reference: Resonac’s news release announced on December 20, 2022, Showa Denko’s Low-Carbon Ammonia Produced from Used Plastics Reduces CO2 Emission by 80%

 

＜Reference＞

• Resonac’s news release announced on December 13, 2023：Resonac Contracts with Nippon Yusen and JERA to Make Joint Effort to Realize Supply of Ammonia Fuel to a Tugboat


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