Ammonia: the beer of decarbonization

What this episode covers

Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, explains why low-carbon ammonia is critical for decarbonizing shipping, power generation, and heavy industry, particularly in Japan, Korea, and Singapore. He details the Haber-Bosch process, noting that current production accounts for 2% of global emissions, and discusses the technical challenges of co-firing ammonia in coal and gas plants. Friedmann highlights that while ammonia offers storage and transport advantages similar to propane, its toxicity, corrosiveness, and the need for specialized infrastructure like bunkering facilities pose significant hurdles. The conversation emphasizes that human capital shortages and the lack of existing ammonia-specific infrastructure, rather than technology alone, are the primary constraints to scaling.