Mitsubishi Heavy plans ammonia co-firing at Chilean coal power plant

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Guacolda Energía will undertake a feasibility study for the introduction of ammonia co-firing at the latter’s coal-fired thermal power plant in the north of Chile, MHI said on December 7.

MHI and independent power producer Guacolda signed a memorandum of understanding at the Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Japan, the base for MHI’s steam power plant business.

The power plant that will be the site of the study is located in Huasco, Atacama Region, approximately 700 km north of the capital city of Santiago. The plant comprises five power generation units with a total output of 758 MW. MHI supplied the boiler, steam turbine, and other core facilities for this plant.

Under the feasibility study plan based on the MoU, MHI, with support from its power solutions brand Mitsubishi Power, will determine and conduct a study of supplying the ammonia burners and other boiler facilities and equipment necessary for ammonia co-firing.

Phase 1, through 2024, will be a basic study for 30% ammonia co-firing to identify the problems involved. Phase 2, from 2025 to 2026, will be to consider solutions to the problems identified in Phase 1, and compile a detailed plan for the demonstration of 30% ammonia co-firing, MHI said. In the future, Guacolda aims to conduct demonstration testing at the plant and increase the co-firing rate.

Chile has set a target for carbon neutrality by 2050 and plans to increasingly incorporate non-conventional renewable energy sources into the electricity matrix.