MHI, Nippon Shokubai to Develop Ammonia Cracking System for Pilot Plant

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Nippon Shokubai obtained approval from Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for their jointly proposed project: Development of Technologies for Building a Competitive Hydrogen Supply Chain. The project aims to build a hydrogen supply chain using ammonia as a carrier molecule, developing a medium-scale decentralized ammonia cracking technology near hydrogen demand sites.

The ammonia cracking technology uses steam and exhaust gases and leverages an independently developed, low-temperature, highly active and highly durable cracking catalyst without deploying the noble metals typically used in conventional low-temperature active catalysts.

Following NEDO’s approval, MHI and Nippon will conduct project activities through fiscal 2027 with long-term testing in mind, using a commercial-scale demonstration plant. MHI will leverage its experience in ammonia plant construction and ammonia handling to execute the basic design and front-end engineering design. Hokkaido Electric Power (HEPCO) will assist MHI in finalizing demonstration plant specifications, resolving technical challenges, and reaching commercialization.

Nippon Shokubai will promote the development of elemental technologies to verify the durability of ammonia cracking catalysts, leveraging its experience and expertise in catalyst development and practical application. The company also holds experience in process catalysts, such as acrylic acid catalysts and environmental catalysts for automotive and exhaust gas treatment.

Carbon-Capture Pilot

In May 2025, MHI installed, commissioned, and kick-started a CO2-capture pilot plant at Kansai Electric Power’s (KEPCO) Himeji no. 2 power station in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Using MHI’s Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery process (KM CDR), the pilot will extract CO₂ from Himeji’s gas turbine-produced flue stream, allowing MHI to conduct additional research and development for carbon-capture technologies.

KEPCO’s power plant currently captures approximately 5 tons of CO₂ per day, with the next-generation pilot project expected to increase the CO₂-capture rate following demonstration. MHI also installed its ΣSynX Supervision remote monitoring system to monitor and collect pilot data. KEPCO and MHI have partnered on the research and development of CO₂-capture technologies since 1990. With this pilot project, they will respond quickly to customers’ requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and comply with environmental regulations.

In 2022, MHI Group and ExxonMobil joined forces to develop an end-to-end, next-generation CCS solution for power plants. MHI and KEPCO offered their KM CDR and Advanced KM CDR technologies for this initiative, which are presently installed across 18 power plants. The Advanced KM CDR process uses the KS-21 solvent, an improved version of the amine-based KS-1, delivering enhanced regeneration efficiency and reduced deterioration compared to its predecessor.

Dammam Assembly Facility

Earlier this month, Mitsubishi Power inaugurated the first-ever JAC gas turbine assembled in Saudi Arabia’s Dammam Assembly Facility, representing a significant milestone in the company’s 60-year partnership with the Kingdom. The Dammam Assembly Facility assembles heavy-duty gas turbines, such as the M501 JAC, positioning the Kingdom as a regional hub for advanced power generation solutions and accelerating Saudi Vision 2030.

This M501 JAC gas turbine will be delivered to the 475 MW Amiral Cogeneration Plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, supplying electricity and steam to the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co.’s (SATORP) petrochemical complex. SATORP’s complex is expected to feature one of the largest mixed-load steam crackers in the Gulf Region, significantly advancing the Kingdom’s energy and industrial capabilities.