NYT News ServiceThe world’s advanced economies have committed to phasing out coal over the next seven years.The world’s advanced economies have committed to phasing out coal over the next seven years. But not Japan, which stands alone in insisting it can make coal less damaging to the planet.Nowhere is that more evident than at the nation’s largest coal-fired power plant in Hekinan, a small city in central Japan. Starting next spring, Jera, the company that owns the site, wants to demonstrate it can blend ammonia — which does not emit carbon dioxide when burned — with coal in its boilers. The company says the ammonia method can reduce dangerous emissions in the fight against global warming.Japan draws nearly one-third of its electric power supply from coal, one of the world’s dirtiest sources of energy. But critics say the use of ammonia merely extends Japan’s reliance on fossil fuels and could potentially increase carbon emissions as the ammonia is produced. Burning ammonia can also pduce nitrogen oxide, which is toxic to humans and is another emission to be managed.Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, has few of its own natural resources and can produce only 11% of its energy needs without fuel imports. The power industry is also reluctant to abandon coal because it has spent so much recently to build new plants. Since 2011, Japanese power companies have constructed 40 coal plants — nearly one-quarter of Japan’s total coal-fired network — with a new Jera plant going online last month.Even if the technology works, procuring a steady, affordable and clean supply of ammonia could significantly strain the world’s supply of the compound, which is needed to produce fertilizer. The government’s own Green Growth Strategy acknowledges that if all of Japan’s coal-fired plants used 20% ammonia, “they would need about 20 million tons of ammonia per year” — equivalent to the entire volume of ammonia currently traded on the world market.Such supply constraints made the amoia plan “almost impossible” to execute, said Hajime Takizawa, a climate and energy researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, a government-funded, independent research group. The government, though, says that once it proves that the technology works, suppliers will meet demand.But producing ammonia itself requires electricity, which under current methods is typically generated from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. So while burning ammonia in a power plant reduces carbon emissions in one place, making ammonia may generate more carbon emissions in another.Don’t miss out on ET Prime stories! Get your daily dose of business updates on WhatsApp. click here!Monday, 24 Jul, 2023Experience Your Economic Times Newspaper, The Digital Way!Read Complete Print Edition »Front PagePure PoliticsDisruptionSmart InvestingMoreByju’s, Lenders Agree to Alter Terms of $1.2b LoanTroubled edtech major Byju’s has reached a tentative agreement to rework its lanpact with lenders who collectively own more than 85% of the $1.2 billion Term B loan, people aware of the matter told ET. An announcement in this regard is expected as early as Monday.Fate of Tata’s UK Steel Biz Hinges on Govt SupportThe fate of Tata Steel’s UK business hangs in the balance as talks continue with the Rishi Sunak government over the quantum of government support, said people with knowledge of the matter.Bain to buy Adani’s NBFC for ₹1,500 crore; CEO to Stay OnBain Capital announced on Sunday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 90% of Adani Capital and its wholly owned subsidiary Adani Housing for an undisclosed sum. People with knowledge of the matter said the PE fund will pay ₹1,500 crore for the acquisition. Read More News onJapan coal cleanerinstitute for global environmental strategieshajime takizawajapancoalHekinanrelianceETRise MSME Day 2022 Mega Conclave with Industry Leaders. Watch Now…orelessETPrime stories of the dayStrategyLeap of faith: how Cipla veteran Nikhil Chopra got JB Pharma out of the woods, on to a growth path13 mins readLogisticsCool comfort: AC trucks mean a boon for drivers, initial pain but long-term gain for operators10 mins readInterviewsNTT DATA to ‘double or triple’ India headcount, introduce four-day week: Amir Durrani8 mins readSubscribe to ETPrime