Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity
In recent years, several researchers have studied the potential use of ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) as an energy vector, focused on the techno-economic advantages and challenges for full global deployment. The use of ammonia as fuel is seen as a strategy to support decarbonization; however,...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/20/6721 |
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| author | Andrea J. Boero Kevin Kardux Marina Kovaleva Daniel A. Salas Jacco Mooijer Syed Mashruk Michael Townsend Kevin Rouwenhorst Agustin Valera-Medina Angel D. Ramirez |
| author_facet | Andrea J. Boero Kevin Kardux Marina Kovaleva Daniel A. Salas Jacco Mooijer Syed Mashruk Michael Townsend Kevin Rouwenhorst Agustin Valera-Medina Angel D. Ramirez |
| author_sort | Andrea J. Boero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, several researchers have studied the potential use of ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) as an energy vector, focused on the techno-economic advantages and challenges for full global deployment. The use of ammonia as fuel is seen as a strategy to support decarbonization; however, to confirm the sustainability of the shift to ammonia as fuel in thermal engines, a study of the environmental profile is needed. This paper aims to assess the environmental life cycle impacts of ammonia-based electricity generated in a combined heat and power cycle for different ammonia production pathways. A cradle-to-gate assessment was developed for both ammonia production and ammonia-based electricity generation. The results show that electrolysis-based ammonia from renewable and nuclear energy have a better profile in terms of global warming potential (0.09–0.70 t CO<sub>2</sub>-eq/t NH<sub>3</sub>), fossil depletion potential (3.62–213.56 kg oil-eq/t NH<sub>3</sub>), and ozone depletion potential (0.001–0.082 g CFC-11-eq/t NH<sub>3</sub>). In addition, surplus heat for district or industrial applications offsets some of the environmental burden, such as a more than 29% reduction in carbon footprint. In general, ammonia-based combined heat and power production presents a favorable environmental profile, for example, the carbon footprint ranges from −0.480 to 0.003 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq/kWh. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:35:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bf4fb83d262c4ff4a6e31fe7e400db9b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:35:57Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-bf4fb83d262c4ff4a6e31fe7e400db9b2023-11-22T18:07:43ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-10-011420672110.3390/en14206721Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based ElectricityAndrea J. Boero0Kevin Kardux1Marina Kovaleva2Daniel A. Salas3Jacco Mooijer4Syed Mashruk5Michael Townsend6Kevin Rouwenhorst7Agustin Valera-Medina8Angel D. Ramirez9Facultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 13 09-01-5863, Guayaquil 090902, EcuadorProton Ventures, Karel Doormanweg 5, 3115 JD Schiedam, The NetherlandsCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKFacultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 13 09-01-5863, Guayaquil 090902, EcuadorProton Ventures, Karel Doormanweg 5, 3115 JD Schiedam, The NetherlandsCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKFacultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 13 09-01-5863, Guayaquil 090902, EcuadorProton Ventures, Karel Doormanweg 5, 3115 JD Schiedam, The NetherlandsCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKFacultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 13 09-01-5863, Guayaquil 090902, EcuadorIn recent years, several researchers have studied the potential use of ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) as an energy vector, focused on the techno-economic advantages and challenges for full global deployment. The use of ammonia as fuel is seen as a strategy to support decarbonization; however, to confirm the sustainability of the shift to ammonia as fuel in thermal engines, a study of the environmental profile is needed. This paper aims to assess the environmental life cycle impacts of ammonia-based electricity generated in a combined heat and power cycle for different ammonia production pathways. A cradle-to-gate assessment was developed for both ammonia production and ammonia-based electricity generation. The results show that electrolysis-based ammonia from renewable and nuclear energy have a better profile in terms of global warming potential (0.09–0.70 t CO<sub>2</sub>-eq/t NH<sub>3</sub>), fossil depletion potential (3.62–213.56 kg oil-eq/t NH<sub>3</sub>), and ozone depletion potential (0.001–0.082 g CFC-11-eq/t NH<sub>3</sub>). In addition, surplus heat for district or industrial applications offsets some of the environmental burden, such as a more than 29% reduction in carbon footprint. In general, ammonia-based combined heat and power production presents a favorable environmental profile, for example, the carbon footprint ranges from −0.480 to 0.003 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq/kWh.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/20/6721ammoniahydrogenLCAcarbon footprintenvironmental impactgreen ammonia |
| spellingShingle | Andrea J. Boero Kevin Kardux Marina Kovaleva Daniel A. Salas Jacco Mooijer Syed Mashruk Michael Townsend Kevin Rouwenhorst Agustin Valera-Medina Angel D. Ramirez Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity Energies ammonia hydrogen LCA carbon footprint environmental impact green ammonia |
| title | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity |
| title_full | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity |
| title_short | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Ammonia-Based Electricity |
| title_sort | environmental life cycle assessment of ammonia based electricity |
| topic | ammonia hydrogen LCA carbon footprint environmental impact green ammonia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/20/6721 |
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