Japan Plan to Use Ammonia for Power Could Boost Pollution Tied to Premature Deaths
Displacing coal with ammonia could erode air quality, according to new analysis from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
A coal-fired power plant in Takasago, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergJapan’s plan to co-fire coal power plants with ammonia in a bid to decarbonize its electricity sector could increase a different type of air pollution linked to millions of premature deaths globally each year, according to new analysis.
Burning ammonia doesn’t emit carbon dioxide but it does release fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, according to a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Japan’s energy transition plan, which aims to extend the life of its fossil fuel plants by co-firing the facilities with ammonia and hydrogen, has faced criticism as most of its peers pivot more quickly to renewable generation.