IHI Corporation and GE Vernova have successfully demonstrated 100% ammonia combustion in a full‑scale F‑class gas turbine, marking a breakthrough in efforts to decarbonise power generation. The test, announced today, was carried out at IHI’s purpose‑built facility in Japan, designed to replicate the performance conditions of GE Vernova’s advanced gas turbine systems.
According to both companies, emissions levels observed during the test are consistent with their joint development roadmap, which targets the commercial deployment of a fully ammonia‑fired gas turbine by 2030. The achievement represents a major technical milestone since the two firms signed a joint development agreement in 2024 to explore ammonia’s potential as a carbon‑free fuel.
Noriaki Ozawa, IHI Managing Executive Officer and President of the Resource, Energy & Environment Business Area, said the result “marks a major milestone” and strengthens the decarbonisation pathways available to the power sector. He noted that the collaboration has accelerated rapidly in recent years, reflecting renewed global interest in ammonia as a clean energy carrier compatible with existing thermal generation assets.
Jeremee Wetherby, GE Vernova’s Carbon Solutions leader, described the demonstration as “a pivotal step toward a lower‑carbon energy future,” adding that the technical success validates the partners’ continued investment in hydrogen and ammonia‑based combustion technologies.
The companies said the next stages of the programme will focus on refining combustion performance, controlling nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and assessing long‑term operational integrity. The partners expect these developments to inform the design of future F‑class turbines capable of running entirely on carbon‑free fuels.
