Lotte Group Chemical Division, World's First Joint Demonstration of Ammonia Photocatalytic Decomposition Technology... "Expanding Hydrogen Economy Activation"

Lotte Chemical and Lotte Fine Chemical of Korea,
CGG of the USA, and Sumitomo Corporation Group of Japan
Sign Joint Business Development Agreement for Ammonia Pyrolysis Technology

At the joint business development agreement for ammonia photolysis technology held on the 24th at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, Trevor Best, CEO of CGG (from the left in the photo), Hwang Min-jae, head of the Lotte Chemical Research Institute, Kim Yong-seok, CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical, and Shinichi Hasegawa, general manager of EIIA at Sumitomo Corporation, are posing for a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Lotte Group's chemical division (Lotte Chemical and Lotte Fine Chemical) is conducting the world's first joint demonstration of ammonia photolysis technology with the US company CGC and Japan's Sumitomo Corporation Group.

On the 25th, Lotte Chemical stated, "Following the world's largest-scale demonstration of ammonia thermal decomposition technology, we are now advancing to demonstrate photolysis technology, taking a step closer to securing technological leadership in the future hydrogen industry."

Ammonia photolysis technology uses light as the energy source for decomposition. Since the equipment operates electrically, the time required to start and stop the equipment is short, enabling rapid operation, and it is advantageous for small- to medium-scale hydrogen production. Additionally, it has the benefit of no greenhouse gas emissions due to the absence of combustion processes.

Accordingly, this technology is expected to enable an economical supply system at hydrogen (co-firing) power plants that intermittently use thousands of tons of hydrogen annually or hydrogen refueling stations that use hundreds of tons of hydrogen. The four companies will conduct technology demonstrations to produce clean hydrogen for hydrogen co-firing or full combustion supply for gas turbine power generation, as well as high-purity hydrogen production for hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen refueling stations.

Lotte Group's chemical division plans to supply clean hydrogen based on ammonia thermal decomposition technology to large-scale continuous hydrogen demand sites. For small- to medium-scale hydrogen demand sites, they plan to complete a portfolio that meets customer needs based on ammonia photolysis technology, contributing to the activation of hydrogen and ammonia in Korea.

To this end, on the 24th, Lotte Chemical, Lotte Fine Chemical, CGC, and Sumitomo Corporation Group signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for ammonia photolysis technology at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Attendees included Hwang Min-jae, head of Lotte Chemical Research Institute; Kim Yong-seok, CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical; Trevor Best, CEO of CGC; and Shinichi Hasegawa, General Manager of Sumitomo Corporation EIIA.

CGC is a US startup that possesses design and manufacturing capabilities for photocatalytic reactors and synthesis/decomposition technologies using them. Through this agreement, they will accelerate the production of photolysis reactors and photocatalysts, while Lotte Chemical will be responsible for designing and constructing production facility systems for demonstration. Lotte Fine Chemical will handle ammonia supply and operation of production facilities, and Sumitomo Corporation Group will be responsible for transportation of reactors and photocatalysts.

Ammonia is gaining attention domestically as a carrier (a substance with similar chemical properties added to separate or extract trace substances) and fuel for hydrogen use. Various companies worldwide are currently striving to convert ammonia into hydrogen. Lotte Group's chemical division has also been conducting a national project demonstration since the end of last year to convert ammonia into hydrogen via thermal decomposition. The demonstration scale of this project is 1000 normal cubic meters (Nm3) per hour. Converted to hydrogen weight, this corresponds to producing about 2 tons of hydrogen per day. This is the largest demonstration project worldwide, and the technology is advantageous for large-scale continuous hydrogen production.

Hwang Jin-gu, CEO of Lotte Chemical, said, "Lotte Chemical will contribute to the activation of the hydrogen economy and carbon neutrality through clean hydrogen and ammonia," adding, "Following the ongoing demonstration of ammonia thermal decomposition technology, this ammonia photolysis technology demonstration will secure solutions to quickly and diversely supply hydrogen tailored to environmental and customer needs by leveraging the strengths of each technology."

Kim Yong-seok, CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical, said, "Based on the number one infrastructure and know-how in ammonia distribution in Northeast Asia, Lotte Fine Chemical will strive for technology development and commercialization related to clean hydrogen and ammonia," and added, "Through this world's first demonstration of ammonia photolysis hydrogen production technology, we will secure core technologies for hydrogen energy transition."

Trevor Best, CEO of CGC, said, "Through this JDA, Lotte Group's chemical division, CGC, and Sumitomo Corporation Group have taken a significant first step toward Korea's decarbonization," and added, "We are very honored to be part of efforts to address climate change."

Shinichi Hasegawa, General Manager of Sumitomo Corporation, said, "We are honored to sign the JDA among the four companies: Lotte Group's chemical division, which handles the most ammonia in Korea, Sumitomo Corporation Group, and CGC, which is invested in by Sumitomo Corporation," and added, "Starting with this project, we plan to discuss collaboration opportunities across the entire ammonia and hydrogen supply chain with Lotte."

Lotte Chemical aims to invest 6 trillion KRW by 2030 based on core competencies such as large-scale consumers, mass supply chains, and eco-friendly technologies to produce 1.2 million tons of clean hydrogen, distribute and utilize it, and achieve sales of 5 trillion KRW. Specifically, of the 1.2 million tons of hydrogen production, 600,000 tons will be supplied for power generation, 450,000 tons for fuel cells and hydrogen gas turbines, and 150,000 tons for transportation.

Lotte Fine Chemical plans to lead the introduction of clean ammonia domestically based on its supply and distribution know-how as the number one ammonia distributor in Northeast Asia. In November last year, a consortium led by Lotte Fine Chemical was selected for a national project to develop ammonia-based clean hydrogen production technology. Additionally, in August last year, they signed a supply agreement for 300,000 tons of green ammonia with Trammo, the world's number one ammonia distributor based in the US, accelerating clean ammonia procurement.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.