I just returned from Detroit, where I attended the NH3 conference.

NH3 is ammonia, and it’s “the only realistic energy solution that makes sense,” according to Matt Simmons of the National Petroleum Council, the Council on Foreign Relations and founder of the Ocean Energy Institute.

Guy Toyama, chair of the Hawaii County Energy Commission; Mitch Ewan, of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at UH Manoa; Roald Marth, venture capitalist, and I were the others from Hawai‘i who attended. Guy gave a talk and pretty much convinced them to hold next year’s conference on the Big Island.

What I learned:

• NH3 is more practical than H2, because there are three Hs in its molecule, rather than two. Therefore, it’s a third more energy dense when transporting. And it can be moved around through the propane infrastructure at relatively low temperature and pressure.

I am a farmer and I like things that are practical. NH3 is the practical person’s hydrogen. H2 is very impractical.

• With a little help, NH3 can be used to run internal combustion engines without much modification. The largest company in the world that converts engines for propane use is now working on commercially modifying engines so that they can use NH3. They focus on fleet vehicles, like BlueBird school buses, etc.

I like this company’s approach. They take care of everything so it is simple for the operator.

• Rather than using hydrocarbons to make NH3, as is done now, we can use electricity for hydrolysis to separate out the hydrogen and oxygen from plain water; then take “N” (nitrogen) from the air to make NH3. Cheap electricity from “off peak” geothermal power would make this cost-competitive as oil prices rise. Considering the recent Lloyd’s of London white paper telling its business clients to be prepared for $200/barrel oil by 2013, it is prudent to be self-reliant.

So the ingredients for NH3 are:

• Geothermal for cheap electricity
• Water for the hydrogen, and
• Air for the nitrogen.

We have all that in abundant supply on the Big Island.

NH3 does not burn well by itself, so it can be used to stretch hydrocarbons to hedge our bets. This conference was interesting because folks reported on using oxygen to strengthen the flame. It just so happens that oxygen is produced, along with hydrogen, during the hydrolysis process.

If we do more geothermal, we can get cheap electricity for all us. And as the NH3 technology develops, we put ourselves and future generations in a position to win.

NH3 is simply ammonia and its safety issues are easily overcome. Catalytic converters can take care of greenhouse gases. Folks are working on making the combustion more efficient.

Guy Toyama said he believes we should be burning H2 in the engine and using NH3 as the H2 carrier. That’s why it it’s important to have an ammonia cracker, like Shaun Grannell was demonstrating outside. That engine was running on pure H2. The pipe on the outside stripped the NH3 to H2 + NO, NO2. Hydrogen flame speed is quicker, so you can more easily convert an Internal Combustion Engine to run on H2.

This is a small engine with the H2 cracker wrapped in tin foil. It ran on straight ammonia.

It was amazing to see. I felt like I was witnessing a historical event.

As we all know, the folks on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder are the ones who will get their lights turned off first, and too often they will be Hawaiians. Geothermal can help to prevent this from happening.

In the uncertain future ahead, we need to take care of each other. Not, No Can. CAN!

Can you folks help us advocate for geothermal?