Viability of Ammonia Generated via Electrolysis from Waste Resources as a Multi-Faceted Approach To Decarbonize Industrial Sectors

Exploring the economic feasibility of green ammonia production through optimized electrolysis requires evaluating the application of ammonia against popular alternatives. We evaluated the practicality of ammonia produced using nitrogen-containing feedstocks from wastewater and exhaust gases, promoting the nitrogen circular economy. Our results underscore that the viability of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier strongly depends on the mode of transportation, the boil-off rate of hydrogen, and the distance traveled. The potential of anhydrous ammonia as a long-term storage medium surpasses other green storage alternatives, including lithium-ion batteries and liquified hydrogen gas, in the long run. We demonstrate that electricity generation using cracked ammonia in hydrogen fuel cells, particularly in remote locations such as Hawaii, can be competitive with electricity generated from natural gas in low-efficiency gas turbines. Finally, adopting green ammonia in the fertilizer market is achievable due to its stable year-round price and decentralization by eliminating transportation costs, in contrast to seasonal price fluctuations and considerable transportation costs of the incumbent technology.