(31c) An Environmental Impact Assessment of Ammonia Co-Combustion in Coal-Fired Power Plants Utilizing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methodology

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the energy sector is responsible for approximately 37% of global CO2 emissions, making emission reduction in this sector a top priority. Ammonia co-firing has emerged as a promising solution for reducing carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, which are a major contributor to global CO2 emissions. However, the high carbon footprint associated with ammonia production has led to debate about the feasibility of this approach. This study evaluates the environmental impact of ammonia co-firing in a 1GWe coal-fired power plant using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Key variables investigated include the ammonia production method, the calorific value of the coal and the co-combustion ratio. The results show that green ammonia produced from wind, solar or nuclear energy significantly reduces CO2 emissions on a global scale. In contrast, co-combustion of grey and blue ammonia results in higher emissions than conventional coal combustion. In addition, the analysis showed that co-firing with lower calorific values resulted in greater emission reductions. This implies that coal-fired power plants using low-rank coal should prioritise ammonia co-firing.