{"id":4389,"date":"2020-08-23T11:49:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-23T15:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/?p=4389"},"modified":"2026-01-18T13:52:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T18:52:07","slug":"zero-emission-ammonia-production-from-green-hydrogen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/fuel-cells\/zero-emission-ammonia-production-from-green-hydrogen","title":{"rendered":"Zero Emission Ammonia Production from Green Hydrogen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Could the future of renewable energy lie in a basic household chemical under your kitchen sink?  <\/span>Ammonia might power your household <\/span>cleaning and fertilize your plants, but it could become an important zero emission energy carrier for moving clean energy around the world economically. Oil & gas, which make up most of our current energy supply, can easily be shipped & stored, but renewable energy that travels through the power grid as electricity cannot.  <\/span>This prevents renewables from becoming a bigger player in the world market of produced & distributed energy.  <\/span>It\u2019s also why researchers are working to streamline current processes to convert solar & wind energy into liquid ammonia which would allow it to be shipped around the world & stored as easily as petroleum products for those hot evenings & cloudy days when the wind isn\u2019t blowing & the sun isn\u2019t shining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to master our ability to create cheap green hydrogen for essential ammonia production even if we leave the BEV-vs-FCEV passenger car debate completely out of the picture. The conventional manufacture of ammonia (NH3) is a dirty process.  <\/span>But without ammonia, we would not be able to produce food for nearly 60% of the world\u2019s population1<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span><\/span>Ammonia is made from nitrogen & hydrogen. Nitrogen molecules are separated from the air we breathe and hydrogen is generally derived from either natural gas or coal in a process which creates greenhouse gasses or about 1.8% of CO2 emissions worldwide2<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span>Once you have the nitrogen & hydrogen segregated, the Haber-Bosch<\/span><\/a> process is employed to make ammonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fritz Haber was a German chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his invention of the Haber\u2013Bosch process used to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Projects are underway around the world that will change how ammonia is manufactured by using renewable solar & wind energy to create the hydrogen from water instead of steam reformed natural gas.  <\/span>The implications of making \u201cgreen ammonia\u201d are bigger than just fertilizer too.   <\/span>Liquid ammonia is also an energy carrier with a higher energy density (11.5 MJ\/liter) than liquid hydrogen (8.5 MJ\/liter)3<\/a><\/sup>.  Ammonia is easier and much cheaper to store & transport than liquid hydrogen because infrastructure & equipment can be used that already exists (e.g. propane infrastructure).  <\/span>While there are many places around the world working on green ammonia pilot plants (Oxford, United Kingdom<\/a> – Fukashima, Japan<\/a> –  Iberdola, Spain<\/a> – & more<\/a>)  RMP thinks Australia is the world leader in the large scale pilot manufacture of green ammonia.  <\/span>Australia has abundant renewable energy resources & potential resources available to boost their economy through the manufacture of green ammonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practical Manufacturing of Green Ammonia & Its Energy Storage Potential<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of reasons why Australia is the primary focus of RMP\u2019s first report on green ammonia.  <\/span>Australia is in the spotlight because of its massive resources and investment in renewable solar & wind energy.  <\/span>Australia currently has 95 large renewable energy infrastructure projects that are in construction (or due to start construction soon).  <\/span>These projects will deliver over $19 billion in capital costs, 11,007 MW of new renewable energy capacity and create 13,567 direct jobs4<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span>Each year terawatt hours of electricity are curtailed5<\/a><\/sup> or go to waste because the electricity cannot be used at the time of generation.  <\/span>It\u2019s a problem that has and will continue get worse as more renewable electricity generation capacity comes online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battery storage solutions that only last for 24 hours or as peakers<\/a> are great and serve very important purposes.  Battery storage projects also have great payback as short term energy solutions.  However, short burst solutions are part of the problem with massive demand for energy as they only satisfy a fraction of what is needed for base-load power over extended durations.  We need solutions like ammonia that will have costs scale down as usage scales up because of solar, wind, & hydrogen abundance.  Short term battery solutions become too expensive as they scale larger than the peaker size.  Batteries also are not the right solution if we need energy for days, weeks, months, and seasons.  <\/span>It is one of the toughest problems to solve with renewable energy that has its highest output during hours when humans don\u2019t need electricity and vice versa.  <\/span>We need a way to store massive amounts of wasted electrical energy so we can have it back when we need it.  <\/span>As more and more renewable energy comes online, cumulative curtailed electricity numbers will continue to climb without the means to store excess generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in liquid form at ambient temperature, ammonia has an energy density of about 3 kWh\/liter and if chilled to negative 35 celsius, ammonia\u2019s energy density approaches 4 kWh\/liter6<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span>Australia can use their vast renewable resources to achieve economical manufacture, production, and storage of green ammonia by simply buying electrolyzers that turn water into H2 & O2.  Australia can be on their way to making more green ammonia with proven technology that is easy to deploy<\/span>.  <\/span>While ammonia is an absolute societal necessity for agricultural fertilizer in an established world market, it also has even bigger economic potential as a carrier of energy.  Energy is a new market for ammonia that will displace oil & gas market share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study is for a demonstration-scale renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia production and export facility on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia.  <\/span><\/span>Yara\u2019s Burrup Peninsula facility currently produces ammonia by using natural gas as a feedstock for its steam methane reforming process, which produces fossil-fuel based hydrogen<\/span><\/a>. The hydrogen is then used to feed an ammonia synthesis process to produce ammonia. Yara is investigating producing renewable hydrogen to feed its ammonia production process, which will reduce emissions produced by the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Yara Pilbara pilot plant will make 30,000 tons of green ammonia that would otherwise be made with fossil fuels. This initial amount of green ammonia replaces 3% of the plant’s fossil fuel capacity. The plant could eventually scale up to 1,000,000 tons of solar PV green ammonia that would otherwise be made with fossil fuels. This is ammonia that already has demand predominantly for fertilizer. (Click image to enlarge).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In collaboration with global energy company ENGIE<\/a>, the Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study will investigate the feasibility of producing renewable hydrogen via electrolysis powered by onsite solar PV. Yara\u2019s objective is that for the demonstration plant, up to three per cent of the hydrogen consumed on site will be renewable hydrogen. The blended hydrogen will subsequently be converted to ammonia and sold for further processing into domestic and international markets. The feasibility study will also investigate using seawater for the electrolyzer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feasibility study will help manufacture 30,000 tons of green ammonia that Yara currently would make using fossil fuels. The study will be the first step on the path to achieving commercial scale production of renewable hydrogen and ammonia for export7<\/a><\/sup>. In the long term, Yara is aiming to produce hydrogen and ammonia entirely through renewable energy. This approach will allow Yara to avoid any major augmentation to the existing plant and therefore minimise the cost and time needed to produce renewable ammonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project has the potential to \u2018unlock\u2019 the value of vast areas of vacant Pilbara land by supporting the development of a new industry that captures solar energy for conversion to hydrogen and other valuable products.  <\/span>Because project\u2019s like Yara Pilbara are likely to surpass feasibility expectations similar to most renewable hydrogen projects, its $3.76m price tag is being funded in part by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA<\/span><\/a>) with a $995k investment.  <\/span>The Australian government recognizes how making green ammonia for export can literally transform the continent into an economic powerhouse as renewable generation scales up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Yara (click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Australia\u2019s government and scientific community want to make green ammonia a significant part of their future economic plans.  <\/span>Australia has renewable resource potential to produce so much more energy than Australians alone can consume which means ammonia has significant export potential which can quickly increase sovereign wealth.  <\/span>A challenge associated with using ammonia as a zero carbon energy carrier is \u201ccracking\u201d the ammonia back into its constituent elements nitrogen & hydrogen.  <\/span>In order to make green ammonia more attractive as an export product, the Aussie\u2019s are attacking this challenge with their top scientific researchers.  <\/span>Enter Australia\u2019s CSIRO<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cracking Green Ammonia<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

CSIRO is Australia’s national science research agency.  <\/span>The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), says their mission is to shape the future. CSIRO says it does this by using science to solve real issues to unlock a better future for Australia\u2019s community, economy, & planet.  <\/span>You may remember it was about two years ago to the month (8\/08\/2018) that CSIRO published a blog post <\/span><\/a>about the successful refueling of a Toyota Mirai & Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel vehicle with ultra pure hydrogen \u201ccracked\u201d from ammonia using a brand new membrane technology created by CSIRO scientists.  <\/span>The news humbly\/quietly signaled a paradigm change in zero carbon energy for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles like busses, trucks, trains, airplanes, and passenger vehicles.  <\/span>If  <\/span>you have abundant renewable energy to produce green ammonia and a method to crack that ammonia back into hydrogen on demand, you literally have a game changer for green energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall was one of the first to ride in the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo vehicles powered by ultra-high purity hydrogen, produced in Queensland using CSIRO\u2019s membrane technology.  <\/span>The membrane separates ultra-high purity hydrogen from ammonia, while blocking all other gases.  <\/span>It links hydrogen production, distribution and delivery in the form of a modular unit that can be used at, or near, a refueling station.  <\/span>This means that the transportation and storage of hydrogen \u2013 currently a complex and relatively expensive process \u2013 is simplified, allowing bulk hydrogen to be transported economically and efficiently in the form of liquid ammonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Demonstration of a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle refueled by hydrogen from ammonia “cracked” at CSIRO in Queensland, Australia.\u00a0 CSIRO’s new membrane technology decomposes ammonia into its constituent elements nitrogen & hydrogen.\u00a0 The hydrogen is ultra pure 99.999% (aka five nines) hydrogen which means it can refuel a Mirai like this one in about the same amount of time it takes to refuel a gasoline vehicle with similar range. Photo courtesy of CSIRO (click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“This is a watershed moment for energy, and we look forward to applying CSIRO innovation to enable this exciting renewably-sourced fuel and energy storage medium a smoother path to market,” Dr Marshall said.  <\/span>BOC Sales and Marketing Director Bruce Currie congratulated CSIRO on the successful refueling of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, which proved the effectiveness of CSIRO\u2019s membrane technology from generation, right through to point of use.  <\/span>With this successful demonstration under CSIRO\u2019s belt, the technology will be increased in scale and deployed in several larger-scale demonstrations, in Australia and abroad.  <\/span>CSIRO\u2019s membrane technology will make green ammonia more attractive to foreign consumers who want to import the zero carbon energy carrier into their smog & CO2 belching countries.  <\/span>This is particularly relevant for enormous nearby markets like China, Japan, and South Korea who have committed to hydrogen economies to decarbonize and de-smog their cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worldwide Green Ammonia Distribution Logistics<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Green ammonia will be competing with many other forms of energy that are fighting for investment dollars.  Ammonia has a couple tricks up its sleeves with regard to affordability & return on investment.  <\/span>One of the key fuels that ammonia will compete with out on the open oceans is Liquified Natural Gas which has a very high volumetric energy content at 6 kWh\/liter compared to ammonia\u2019s 3 kWh\/liter at ambient temperature or almost 4 kWh\/liter if chilled to -35C.  <\/span>RMP created our map of all LNG facilities in the world<\/a> when Cheniere was granted the USA\u2019s first permit to export LNG in 2011.  <\/span>Green ammonia will have to compete with LNG that has grown significantly since RMP first wrote about Cheniere in August of 2015<\/a> just over five years ago.  <\/span>America now has 5 LNG liquefaction facilities permitted for export & built since 2015.  <\/span>These are carefully planned investment decisions on plants that take years to build.  <\/span>Even the F.I.D\u2019s<\/span><\/a> on a new LNG plant can take years because of the risk of investing so much money over such a long horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While LNG liquefaction has received significant investment in the past five years on assets that are expected to deliver for 25 plus year useful lives, LNG is at a severe disadvantage to ammonia for both maritime use & for maritime bunkering.  <\/span>While ammonia has big advantage over all other 100% green energy carriers with energy density, its real secret weapon against grey and potentially \u201cblue\u201d fuels, like LNG, is its ability to use existing infrastructure like that used for LPGs<\/span><\/a> (e.g. propane).   Financial investments with the strongest bang for their buck always win.  Green ammonia will be a fierce competitor with regard to economic return on investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 4 from The Royal Society, “Ammonia: zero-carbon fertiliser, fuel and energy store<\/a>” Published February 2020.\u00a0 This infographic shows the energy densities for various green & dirty fuels.\u00a0 Where ammonia lacks in volumetric energy density versus hydrocarbons like LNG, it more than makes up for it in ease of use & cost effective bunkering for maritime use.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because ammonia can be liquified at 7.5 bar at ambient temperatures similar to propane & butane, it has an advantage over LNG as a 100% green energy carrier  and could potentially hurt LNG investments as shipbuilders might prefer 0% zero emission vessels & cargo.  <\/span>Ammonia easily fits this role of clean energy ambassador to enormous cargo ships with cheaper bunkering costs.  Ammonia bunkering costs will be orders of magnitude cheaper than LNG because of the liquefaction trains & cryogenic storage required for LNG.  <\/span>There is great irony here in that for 10 years we have heard that hydrogen suffers from a \u201cchicken or egg\u201d problem but the truth is the chicken or egg problem befalls LNG to a much more significant degree than ammonia which means hydrogen\u2019s chicken or egg problem also could rapidly become yesterday\u2019s story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For LNG, the dilemma has been that shipowners have been reluctant to make the switch to LNG as bunker fuel in the absence of ports around the world able to supply it. Yet, the development of the required infrastructure is dependent on such demand. As ammonia is already produced and transported in large quantities around the world by ship, bunker supplies could be readily accommodated, though of course it will have to be expanded once the first ammonia powered vessels are realized, says Niels de Vries, a Naval Architect with C-Job Naval Architects in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNowadays the main consumer of ammonia is the fertilizer industry,\u201d he says. \u201cThis industry is supplied by ships which carry ammonia in bulk loads of up to 60,000 dwt. The industry’s existing infrastructure could be used to realize bunker locations for ships in the future, and current production offers the possibility of a smooth transition. There are ports available already that could supply the first ships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vigor, the Pacific Northwest’s biggest shipbuilder, has launched the\u00a0Harvest<\/i><\/strong>, the first liquefied ammonia barge built in the US since 1982. It was built for the Mosaic Co. of Minnesota, a leading producer of concentrated phosphate and potash fertilizers, and will be operated in the Gulf by a subsidiary of the Savage Company. The 508-foot hull was constructed at Vigor’s HQ and base facility, the Swan Island\u00a0Shipyard in Portland, with the assistance of other Vigor divisions in the region. Photo courtesy of Vigor. (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shipbuilders are\/were already ready to make an economic case for using ammonia as low emission fuel by combusting it and scrubbing NOx.  <\/span>But, with ammonia cracking technology like that mentioned by CSIRO that can turn ammonia to hydrogen on demand, you don\u2019t need to combust it because you can use it in a fuel cell which has more than 2x the efficiency of a combustion engine with zero harmful emissions.  <\/span>All of the sudden, the economics you could use to justify ammonia as fuel have just gotten twice as good & your emissions drop to zero.  <\/span>It really bodes well for ammonia as a green energy carrier.  <\/span>Speaking of CSIRO’s technology to crack ammonia into N2 & H2, phys.org<\/span><\/a> just published a recent article<\/span><\/a> August 19, 2020 regarding a new low-cost membrane technology developed by the Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST) to decompose ammonia into high purity hydrogen & nitrogen.  <\/span>More evidence top research authorities like CSIRO & KIST are demonstrating scientists around the world are working fast to unlock the potential of green ammonia.  <\/span>You can bet there are some labs in the USA & UK that will be touting some similar breakthroughs soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Had to squeeze in two photos of the new liquified ammonia barge Harvest<\/i><\/strong> because life is short and boats are cool.\u00a0 Look at the size of this massive vessel.\u00a0 The enormous self-climbing gantry crane was used to lift and position the 680-ton bow and the 470-ton stern modules.\u00a0 Harvest<\/i><\/strong> contains four 1,100 ton ammonia tanks each having a capacity of 5,500 tons of ammonia.\u00a0 This American made ship created over a million labor hours of good American jobs in Portland Oregon.\u00a0 We can build more of these and make a significant amount of our energy domestically with green ammonia. Photo courtesy of Vigor. (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recent advances in renewable energy technology have set up the new 2020 decade for continued scaling in the manufacture of zero emission ammonia for sustainable energy.  <\/span>Because hydrogen is inexhaustible, abundant, and in every local community, it could mean economies of scale could make hydrogen very cheap as old petroleum infrastructure could be retrofitted for ammonia storage & distribution.  <\/span>Ammonia is already transported by ocean freight by big ships like Vigor\u2019s 508 foot hull Harvest recently built supporting millions of labor hours in America\u2019s pacific northwest Portland area8<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span>The Harvest was built by American workers using over 9,000 tons of American steel & 4,400 tons of equipment.  <\/span>The Harvest has four cargo tanks, each capable of holding 5,500 tons of liquid anhydrous ammonia at very low pressure.  <\/span>This was the first ammonia vessel built in America since 1982!   <\/span>Think about all the jobs & labor hours America could generate to make even more ships like this that transport ammonia safely across our oceans.  <\/span>Speaking of safety, we need to talk about safety & toxicity in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ammonia’s risk profile is similar in magnitude to methane or methanol.  For ammonia, the main risks are related to health, as ammonia is toxic.  Ammonia’s fire risk profile on the other hand is lower. Ammonia can be stored as a liquid either at -34 degrees Celsius at atmospheric pressure (usually applied for large scale applications) or at room temperature at 10 bar (usually applied for small scale applications).  <\/span>RMP\u2019s stated mission as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization is to protect our fresh water resources.   <\/span>Toxic & water are two words that need to always be separate to protect drinking water.  <\/span>How does RMP recommend a toxic substance, ammonia, and reconcile that position with our mission statement of protecting Michigan’s and the world’s fresh water resources?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reconciling ammonia\u2019s toxicity with RMP\u2019s mission of protecting freshwater<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Ammonia is a product necessary for humans to survive.  <\/span>Ammonia is a naturally occurring compound being created in your body\u2019s cells right now as you read this sentence.  <\/span>Ammonia will continue to be manufactured, stored, and transported in the future the same way it is now and has been used in industry for over 100 years.  <\/span>Like all energy carriers & fuels, ammonia is dangerous and must be handled with appropriate safeguards.  <\/span>RMP was founded on protecting fresh water and eliminating the use of fossil fuels.  <\/span>RMP specifically wants to eliminate crude oil from our energy mix first as it causes great harm to our fresh water resources.  <\/span>Crude oil, gasoline, diesel, and other fuel oils contaminate water wherever they are produced, stored, & distributed.  <\/span>Crude oil has environmental remediation costs that drain public budgets & and ruin our environment irreversibly no matter how much we spend to try to clean it up. Famous spills like the Exxon Valdez that happened in April of 1989 are still costing money to clean up today9<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span>That\u2019s just one example of literally thousands of major instances.  <\/span>Right here in our backyards of Michigan, we remember the Enbridge Line 6B pipeline disaster just over ten years ago that RMP wrote about<\/span><\/a> on its 5 year anniversary.   <\/span>Ammonia is different in relation to environmental disasters; it\u2019s not like fossil fuels.  <\/span>While ammonia can cause fish kills on release and can be deadly, its toxicity to the environment is temporary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as ammonia is released into the environment, it begins neutralizing.  <\/span>Spilled ammonia, while toxic, will quickly dissipate reacting with moisture to form ammonium. Ammonium then quickly binds to negatively charged soil, organic matter, and clays. Ammonium rarely accumulates in soil because bacteria will rapidly convert the ammonium that is not taken up by plant roots into nitrates (nitrification)9<\/a><\/sup>.  <\/span>Yes ammonia is toxic & can cause accidents that could turn deadly if they’re not handled safely; this is the same with all fuels.  <\/span>The difference with ammonia is that spill or release events will always be isolated and short term clean ups.  <\/span>When I think of a serious ammonia accident, I\u2019m reminded of when I was young and I would share my scientific theories with my dad.  <\/span>My dad would remind me of La Chatlier\u2019s principle<\/span><\/a> of chemical equilibrium.  <\/span>Ammonia is a good example of something toxic that quickly finds an equilibrium with the environment to form something non-toxic.  <\/span>I\u2019m glad my dad taught me about La Chatlier\u2019s principle because there is going to be FUD surrounding ammonia just like any other fuel we use.  <\/span>RMP knows, no matter what form of energy we use, there will be people who oppose it [viciously].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RMP supports green ammonia as part of the solution of clean renewable energy that is safe for the environment.  <\/span>While dangers exist with ammonia like any other high energy density medium, imagine the flip side:  without ammonia nearly 60% of the world’s population would perish from starvation.   The possibility of an accident is the risk to pay to avoid certain calamity if there was no ammonia.   When the ammonia FUD<\/a> comes and people say the sky is falling, remember this paragraph.  Ammonia has been in use around the world for a century.  No one has any reason to panic, but ammonia certainly needs to be handled safely similar to any other fuel we use today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three bullet points from the CDC\u2019s Frequently Asked Questions page regarding ammonia<\/span><\/a> when it enters the environment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n