Piloting a Combined Heat and Power Distributed Generation System Powered by Anhydrous Ammonia
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Los Angeles Campus
Recipient
Los Angeles, CA
Recipient Location
26th
Senate District
54th
Assembly District
$443,039
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
UCLA was unable to secure a demonstration site and match funding in time to complete the project within the project term.
The Issue
Currently, there is no engine system for non-emergency baseload, peak, and backup power generation that is capable of meeting the South Coast Air Quality Management District's air quality emissions standards. The lack of such an engine limits the ability to fulfill state and regional goals for distributed power generation and self-generation.
Project Innovation
This project was funded to demonstrate a low carbon, near-zero nitrogen oxide (NOx), multi-fuel combined heat and power distributed generation system fueled by natural gas for base load power and ammonia (NH3) for backup and peak power.
Project Benefits
The proposed power generation system is scalable down to a size suitable for small industrial facilities. If successful, such a system could help move California towards the Governor's Clean Energy Jobs Plan targets for distributed generation and combined heat and power.
Economic Development
Establishing the commercial viability of NH3 has the potential to spur both in-basin and remote capture of NH3 from other renewable resources such as intermittent wind and solar energy.
Environmental Sustainability
The system that was to be developed and demonstrated was proposed as capable of near-zero NOx emissions and also capable of generating potable water as a byproduct when operating on NH3.
Key Project Members
Addy Moon
Subrecipients
Sturman Industries
Light Water, Inc.
California Metal X, Inc.
Match Partners
California Metal X, Inc.
