(187a) Green Ammonia: Analysis of Economic Viability

Ammonia production is a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions, accounting for approximately 0.5 Gt annually, or about 1% of total emissions. This makes it the largest CO2 emitter within the chemical industry, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Ammonia Energy Association. This paper provides a technical and economic analysis of producing renewable ammonia using hydrogen derived from electrolysis and electricity from renewable sources. The study focuses on an electrified ammonia plant encompassing nitrogen generation via cryogenics, hydrogen production through a PEM electrolyzer, ammonia synthesis and purification, storage, and all necessary utilities and auxiliaries. The analysis considers plants of varying capacities to examine the impact of scaling on the levelized cost of ammonia production. Additionally, the influence of electricity costs is evaluated. The levelized cost of green ammonia is compared to that of conventional (grey) ammonia, highlighting the CO2 emission tax required to make green ammonia economically viable.