The role of ammonia in the global energy transition: opportunities and challenges in ammonia gas turbine technology

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the continuous global surge in energy demand, excessive reliance on fossil fuels has led to increasingly severe environmental pollution and climate issues, making the promotion of sustainable energy transition urgently needed. As a hydrogen energy carrier with zero carbon emission characteristics, ammonia demonstrates significant application value in the power generation sector and transportation systems, thanks to its superior energy density and convenient storage and transportation advantages. Currently, the development of ammonia-fueled gas turbine technology still faces numerous challenges, including increased nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions, poor combustion performance, insufficient flame stability, and material performance degradation. This paper systematically integrates the complete technical chain of ammonia as an energy carrier—covering synthesis, combustion, emission control, and material technologies—and sorts out the development context, current status, and future trends of ammonia gas turbine technology. The core advantages of this technology lie in its clean combustion characteristics and compatibility with existing infrastructure; however, technical barriers such as NO_x control and combustion stability still need to be overcome. Innovative solutions, including ammonia-hydrogen co-combustion, ammonia-methane co-combustion, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), rich-lean combustion technology, plasma-assisted combustion, and the development of new materials, are expected to address these issues. Representative practical cases such as the IM270 Ammonia Gas Turbine Project and the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Demonstration Project mark breakthrough progress in the commercial application of ammonia gas turbine systems. Looking ahead, the integration of renewable energy systems and artificial intelligence-driven system optimization will significantly enhance the efficiency of ammonia gas turbine technology.