Renewable-to-ammonia: Configuration strategy and technoeconomic analysis
Li Pan, Jiarong Li, Jingsi Huang, Qi An, Jin Lin, Asad Mujeeb, Yanhui Xu, Gengyin Li, Ming Zhou, Jianxiao Wang
Abstract
The increasing demand for chemical raw materials has provided opportunities for the ammonia (NH 3 ) industry. However, little attention has been devoted to the economic feasibility of renewable-to-ammonia (RE2A). Therefore, this paper proposes a technoeconomic model to research the optimal capacity configuration and quantify the levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) for RE2A, which is a retrofitted plant based on coal-to-ammonia (C2A). A cost model of C2A is established as a benchmark to evaluate the economic feasibility of RE2A. A case study in Inner Mongolia is adopted, which shows that the monthly NH 3 output is 7–11×10 3 t, which satisfies actual industrial production. The LCOA of RE2A is 469$/t, with investment in wind turbines accounting for 58%, which is lower than the NH 3 market price (605$–650$/t). The LCOA of RE2A will equal that of C2A with a carbon tax of 47.1$/t CO 2 , which confirms the economic advantages of RE2A in the future.