Pupuk Kaltim Mulai Jajaki Pembangunan Teknologi Green Amonia

JAKARTA - In responding to the challenges of future climate change, PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (PKT) as the pioneer of green transformation in the petrochemical industry has always taken the initiative to uphold the principles of ESG (environmental, social, governance). One of the real actions of PKT in realizing green transformation efforts is to continue to review technological-based innovations to explore the use of renewable energy, one of which is green ammonia.

The ammonia Green is ammonia produced from non-hydrocarbon raw materials and also uses energy sources from non-hydrocarbons (green energy). One of the processes of production of green ammonia is to maximize hydrogen produced by water electrolyse with nitrogen drawn from air.

In addition to being environmentally friendly and the target to support the net zero emissions program launched by the Indonesian government in 2060, PKT sees the market potential for very high green ammonia. Later, it is predicted that more consumers will switch to the use of renewable energy such as green ammonia, which in the production process does not produce CO2 emissions.

Therefore, PKT seeks to develop ammonia production technology without using hydrocarbon raw materials as an effort to decarbonize.

Looking at this positive opportunity, PKT together with Copenhagen Atomics, Topsoe, Alfa Laval, and Aalborg CSP initiated a review of green ammonia production using thorium-based energy. Such as green ammonia, thorium is also classified as a more economical green energy source. In Indonesia, the potential content of thorium is estimated to reach 210,000-270,000 tons stored in Bangka, West Kalimantan and West Sulawesi.

The positive synergy initiated by PKT in the exploration of green ammonia production began with communication between the President Director of PKT, Rahmad Pribadi with Thomas Jam Pederson, Co-Founder of Copenhagen Atomics in July 2022. The tit for tat, Copenhagen Atomics then offered PKT to join the joint study of the green ammonia being carried out between Copenhagen Atomics, Topsoe and Alfa Laval.

As an initial stage, PKT together with Copenhagen Atomics, Topsoe, Alfa Laval, and Aalborg CSP signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding a green ammonia study using thorium-based energy digitally in January 2023. As proof of its seriousness and commitment, all parties involved in this collaboration agreed to re-sign a second memorandum of understanding on 19 May 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The focus of this study is the design for the construction of facilities that produce green ammonia of 1 million tons per year with an estimated investment of USD 4 billion.

"Of course this is a very positive opportunity and opportunity for the progress of PKT and also for the country's petrochemical industry. PKT is also always open to collaboration with many parties who can produce the best technology and innovation. One of them is through exploring green ammonia as a form of renewable energy. PKT sees, in the future, black ammonia or products made from hydrocarbon raw will be replaced by green ammonia products," said Rahmad, in his statement, Friday, May 19.

Copenhagen Atomics itself is a Danish molten salt technology company that has been established since 2014 which is developing a molten salt reactor that can be mass produced. In this collaboration, Copenhagen Atomics has a role to play in developing the thorium molten salt reactor technology with the aim of lowering the price of environmentally friendly energy.

While Topsoe is a ammonia technology licensor who has experience for 80 years and has a role to play in developing Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) electrons with competitive energy consumption. Alfa Laval will play a role as a water treatment technology provider to process electrolyzer raw materials.

Aalborg CSP acts as a molten salt boillar provider which will later convert the energy produced by the thorium molten salt reactor into steam which is then converted further into electrical energy. On the direction of PT Pupuk Indonesia as the parent company of PKT, this collaboration will also involve Pertamina New & Renewable Energy which gets a role to find an environmentally friendly hydrogen production process.

The development of green ammonia certainly promises extraordinary potential. And for PKT to be one of the initiators of renewable energy development is certainly in line with our goal to always prioritize technology and innovation to be able to produce the best and most efficient products without neglecting the importance of maintaining environmental sustainability. Not only for PKT, this collaboration is certainly a very good collaboration for Indonesia and the world. And at the same time, it is clear evidence of PKT's commitment to be increasingly recognized as a actor in the petrochemical industry globally," he explained.