Ammonia can be combusted in internal combustion engines similar to diesel and natural gas, but without any carbon emissions. Ammonia is a flexible alternative fuel, with many roles to play in a net-zero world. It can be stored indefinitely at low cost, transported by container or pipeline, and is available almost anywhere worldwide. For energy, ammonia can be combusted directly or converted into hydrogen, depending on the use case. Aza focuses on the former, which offers a more efficient pathway to utilizing ammonia’s energy.

Carbon-intensity of ammonia production varies globally, but ammonia can be produced quite readily from renewable electricity. This zero carbon intensity ammonia, sometimes referred to as “green,” is ideal for Aza’s technologies as it means no carbon is emitted from start to finish. Green and decentralized ammonia production technologies are seeing increased popularity, especially with rural cooperatives, and may pave the way for a larger green ammonia/hydrogen economy.

Conversion to pure ammonia combustion can be performed on either compression-ignition or spark-ignition engines. Aza’s technologies blend the best qualities of both ignition modes to achieve clean combustion and high power output. For spark ignition, when using ammonia alone, a low Laminar flame speed is needed. Additionally, H2-NH3 blends from cracking are promising, but have reduced volumetric efficiency.