Comprehensive techno-economic assessment of Green-Ammonia@Scale production
Conventional Ammonia (NH 3 ) production through steam methane reforming directly emits greenhouse gases like Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and indirectly releases air pollutants such as Nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ). Conversely, utilizing renewable-powered water electrolysis enables the production of green-NH 3 , providing a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable alternative. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis (TEA) model, incorporating economies of scale, was developed to investigate the feasibility of green-NH 3 @Scale production at two prospective locations within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Aspen Plus, the Hydrogen (H 2 ) Production Analysis model (H2A), and the System Advisor Model (SAM) were used to simulate and optimize the volumetric production and economic metrics. The findings reveal substantial variability in the levelized cost of green-NH 3 (LCOA), driven by factors such as production scale, electrolyzer type, and power-to-power plant configuration. Depending on the geographical location of the production facility, production scale, and associated economic and financial parameters, the LCOA ranged from $556/t to $680/t. This positions green-NH 3 near competitive parity with blue-NH 3 , which has a cost of approximately $400/t. These results underscore the cost-effectiveness of green-NH 3 and its potential as a robust H 2 energy carrier, providing a benchmark to guide investment decisions and inform policy development. • Techno-economic model for green-NH 3 production with economies of scale. • Simulations across multiple production targets, plant configurations, PV-modules, and electrolyzers. • Addressed procedural deficiencies, integrated financial parameters, analyzed grid-connected and standalone scenarios. • Optimal LCOA: $590.12/t (AEL), $646.63/t (PEMEL); significant cost impact from economies of scale. • Policy incentives, and recommendations to further reduce the cost of green-NH 3 .
Authors
- Pedro Rochedo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5151-0893)
- Muhammad Sadiq (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8219-3907)
- Ahmad Mayyas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0367-6503)
Institutions
- Khalifa University of Science and Technology (AE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cleaner Engineering and Technology
- Published
- 2025-04-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2025.100964
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.33
Funders
- Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research
- Malawi University of Science and Technology