IHI and GE Vernova: large-scale combustion test facility for ammonia gas turbines

Click to learn more. The newly completed combustion test facility will help accelerate the development of gas turbines operating on 100% ammonia. Source: GE Vernova.

To test full scale prototype combustors as part of their collaboration to develop gas turbines operating on 100% ammonia, IHI Corporation and GE Vernova have built a new Large-scale Combustion Test facility (LCT). Located at IHI’s Aioi Works facility in Hyogo, Japan, the new facility will be used to test “next-generation” ammonia combustion technologies, starting in summer 2025.

The two parties are aiming to develop 100% ammonia-powered, commercially-available gas turbines by 2030. At the new test facility, advanced combustion systems will be tested under standard conditions for GE Vernova’s F-class gas turbines, including operating temperature and pressure conditions, and both air and fuel flow rates.

The partnership (launched in 2023) between the two parties will bring together IHI’s ammonia combustion expertise and GE Vernova’s global technical teams from its existing advanced combustion test facility in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. In April this year, also at Aioi Works, IHI announced it is running durability tests on a 2 MW-scale gas turbine running on 100% liquid ammonia.

This milestone marks a significant step forward in the joint technology roadmap sealed with a Joint Development Agreement in 2024 aiming to lead to a 100% ammonia capable combustion system by 2030.

IHI has developed a 100% ammonia firing gas turbine IM270 (output 2MW) and will level the technology to develop large-scale combustion technology. IHI’s combustor development role lies this new flagship test facility, which will be a crucial hub for IHI’s and GE Vernova’s project. The establishment of the LCT underscores IHI’s and GE Vernova’s commitment to driving innovation in more sustainable energy solutions, with ammonia as a promising fuel for future power generation.

Kensuke Yamamoto, IHI Executive Officer, VP of Business Development Division and GM of Ammonia Value Chain Project Department, in GE Vernova’s official press release, 23 June 2025

This announcement signals a shift from initial studies on the ammonia value chain to the practical implementation of technologies and engineering projects, aiming to decarbonize power generation by using ammonia as a fuel. This marks a new phase of collaboration between GE Vernova and IHI, with the goal of developing decarbonization pathways that safeguard existing power generation investments.

Jeffrey Goldmeer, GE Vernova Senior Director, Technology Strategy, in his organisation’s official press release, 23 June 2025