Japan has achieved 85% ammonia co-firing in a naphtha cracking furnace while maintaining NOx emissions at levels comparable to conventional operation. The milestone was reached as part of a national program to decarbonize the chemical sector.
Ammonia co-firing in naphtha crackers is one pathway to reduce CO2 emissions from petrochemical production. Naphtha cracking is energy-intensive, and substituting part of the fuel with low-carbon ammonia can lower the carbon footprint of ethylene and propylene production.
The achievement moves the technology closer to commercial deployment, though challenges remain in ammonia supply, burner design and overall economics.
