COP28 President Ahmad Al Jaber promotes blue ammonia as a climate solution, but experts, including Cornell University Professor Robert Howarth, question its environmental credentials.
Despite Al Jaber's portrayal of blue ammonia as a 'low-carbon' product, an examination of its greenhouse gas footprint showed emissions three times greater than diesel and 2.5 times higher than coal or natural gas.
Blue ammonia is being marketed for its role in safely carrying and storing hydrogen, which is considered critical for decarbonizing difficult sectors such as transportation and power generation. However, there are worries about its precursor, blue hydrogen, which is created utilizing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Critics doubt CCS's effectiveness in decreasing emissions.
Furthermore, methane emissions from blue hydrogen generation, combined with energy losses during conversion, contribute to blue ammonia producing 2.5 to 3 times the greenhouse gasses of conventional fuels. Also, the recovered CO2 from blue ammonia synthesis is used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), increasing ADNOC's oil production. This technique casts doubt on blue ammonia's overall environmental benefits, with experts emphasizing the importance of shifting away from fossil fuels in order to accomplish real decarbonization. Despite these reservations, ADNOC has not responded to inquiries about these assertions.
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