Eco-Friendly Natural Gas Monetization Complex for Simultaneous Power Generation and Nitrogen-Based Fertilizer Production
Ying Liu, Song Wang, Qiang Xu, Thomas C. Ho
Abstract
The rapid growth of the human population and the global economy, as well as the escalating concern of global climate change, presents grand challenges for the world. As the most abundantly, cheaply, and widely distributed energy/material natural resource on earth, natural gas should be systematically utilized to help overcome these challenges by producing electricity and fertilizers in a more effective, efficient, and eco-friendly way. In this paper, a conceptual design of a super industrial complex based on the comprehensive utilization of natural gas for simultaneous power generation, fertilizer production, and inherent carbon capture has been developed, modeled, and analyzed. It includes four subsystems (termed A3U): (i) air separation unit (ASU), (ii) Allam cycle power plant (ACPP), (iii) ammonia production plant (APP), and (iv) urea production plant (UPP). The entire A3U is an eco-friendly, natural gas monetization complex, which only employs natural gas and air as the feedstock. Through the systematic integration of internal material/energy streams among four subsystems, the A3U complex can simultaneously and efficiently produce net power, urea fertilizer, pipeline-ready CO2, pure nitrogen, and low-pressure steam. Meanwhile, the A3U complex has no NOx emissions and very low CO2 emissions during manufacturing. The developed A3U complex has been virtually demonstrated by large-scale rigorous modeling and simulations. Its salient economic and environmental benefits have also been analyzed and compared with normal standalone manufacturing processes.