Site items in: Improved Haber-Bosch

Demonstrating CCS-based ammonia technologies in Japan
Article

Demonstrating CCS-based ammonia technologies in Japan

Kevin Rouwenhorst July 26, 2023

Our June episode of Ammonia Project Features focused on a new project in Niigata prefecture, which will demonstrate low-carbon, fossil-based ammonia production with a capacity of 500 tonnes per year. As part of the project, Japanese government organization JOGMEC will work with INPEX to develop enhanced gas recovery & CO2 sequestration monitoring technologies. Tsubame BHB will deploy its low-temperature, low-pressure ammonia synthesis technology based on an electride-supported catalyst developed at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Alternative synthesis start-ups: exploring the growing ecosystem in Australia and New Zealand
Article

Alternative synthesis start-ups: exploring the growing ecosystem in Australia and New Zealand

Julian Atchison July 18, 2023

A fast-growing ecosystem of startups is progressing various technology pathways in Australia and New Zealand. Melbourne-based Jupiter Ionics is developing an electrolytic cell that will directly reduce nitrogen to ammonia under mild temperature and pressure conditions. In New Zealand, Liquium is embarking on a pilot-scale deployment of its miniaturised Haber Bosch technology. The University of Newcastle and Element One are progressing validation and pilot-phase deployments of AMMONIAC - a novel, “chemical-looping” ammonia production system. And in Sydney, PlasmaLeap is developing a plasma-based system, with on-farm trials already planned.

Flexible ammonia synthesis: shifting the narrative around hydrogen storage
Article

Flexible ammonia synthesis: shifting the narrative around hydrogen storage

Kevin Rouwenhorst April 27, 2023

Flexible ammonia production technology is currently scaling up to meet the challenges of fluctuating electricity feedstock. The ability to ramp down plants to 5 - 10% of their nominal load will minimize the requirement for hydrogen storage buffers and reduce the overall cost of renewable ammonia production. The first demonstration-sized flexible ammonia plants are due to begin operations later this year.

3rd generation ammonia synthesis: new catalysts & production pathways
Article

3rd generation ammonia synthesis: new catalysts & production pathways

Julian Atchison December 08, 2021

We look at four new developments this week:

1. A team from DTU Energy and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have uncovered a new class of alternative catalysts for mild condition ammonia synthesis. The ternary ruthenium complex hydrides Li4RuH6 and Ba2RuH6 avoid the energy-intensive pathway of nitrogen dissociation in a "synergistic" manner.

2. A team from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials reported a highly selective (95%) plasma ammonia synthesis method.

3. A team from Delft University of Technology has presented an present an "unconventional electrochemical design" that physically separates hydrogen and dinitrogen activation sites.

4. A team at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research has demonstrated a new mechanochemical ammonia synthesis system that operates at room temperature and pressures as low as 1 bar.

Optimizing absorption to improve Haber-Bosch synthesis
Presentation

Optimizing absorption to improve Haber-Bosch synthesis

Alon McCormickMatthew KaleCory MarquartDeepak OjhaMatthew PalysChinomso Emmanuel OnuohaZac PursellEdward CusslerProdromos DaoutidisPaul DauenhauerMichael ReeseSameer ParvathikarMahdi Malmali

Ammonia absorber columns offer an alternative separation unit to replace condensation in the Haber-Bosch synthesis loop. Metal halide salts can selectively separate ammonia from the reactor outlet gas mixture and incorporate it into their crystal lattice with remarkably high thermodynamic capacity. While the salts’ working capacity can be limited and unstable when they are in their pure form, the capacity is stable and can be high when using a porous silica support. Here, we discuss optimal conditions for uptake and release of ammonia. The production capacity (ammonia processed per unit absorbent and per unit production time) depends on processing parameters…

Dynamic Analysis of Flex-gNH3 – a Green Ammonia Synthesis Process
Presentation

Dynamic Analysis of Flex-gNH3 – a Green Ammonia Synthesis Process

Raffaele OstuniMichele CorbettaMichal Bialkowski

The future of a decarbonised ammonia production is seen as the alignment of the intermittent production of renewable energy, energy demands and ammonia process features. The current Haber-Bosch ammonia synthesis process can indeed be altered to enable green and sustainable ammonia production primarily being driven by renewable electricity. However, this will require to enhance current commercial Haber-Bosch (H-B) process flexibility with modifications to redefine the conventional H–B process with a new optimised control. The technical feasibility of green-ammonia (gNH3) process had been widely discussed and analysed focusing on its energy efficiency, the development of small-scale, distributed, modularised processes that can…

Stami Green Ammonia to play a key role in decarbonizing the fertilizer industry
Presentation

Stami Green Ammonia to play a key role in decarbonizing the fertilizer industry

Mauricio Medici

Stamicarbon green ammonia technology is based on the proven Haber-Bosh process and a perfect match for Power to X small and medium size project. It unique operational conditions and lean process design lead to a compact plant configuration with a minimum foot print requirement and thus a very competitive Capex when compared to other technologies. Moreover, the relatively high operating pressure makes it possible to obtain a high conversion per path using a minimum volume of catalyst. Maire Tecnimont group is applying Stami Green Ammonia technology in two green feasibility study projects, Greenfield Nitrogen located in the heart of the…

The Ammonia Academic Wrap:
Article

The Ammonia Academic Wrap: "seamless" cracking, improving Haber Bosch, a novel green power-to-ammonia-to-power solution and a review into the use of ammonia as a fuel

Julian Atchison May 13, 2021

Welcome to the Ammonia Academic Wrap: a summary of all the latest papers, developments and emerging trends in the world of ammonia energy R&D. This week: "seamless" ammonia cracking tech from Northwestern, a new electrolysis catalyst, successful integration of ammonia synthesis and separation for improved efficiency, more research needed into transition metal catalysts for Haber Bosch, a novel, green power-to-ammonia to power system and a review on ammonia as a potential fuel.

Green Ammonia at Oil and Gas Scale
Presentation

Green Ammonia at Oil and Gas Scale

Alex Tancock

Green Ammonia demand will grow massively over the coming years as it takes a central role in decarbonization, particularly in hard to abate sectors. In order to meet this demand, the industry must respond with projects at oil and gas scale.  This is the only way to deliver the volumes required to decarbonize and to do it at the prices needed to accelerate the energy transition.  The project concept pioneered by Intercontinental Energy offers a way forward. This presentation will outline Intercontinental Energy’s view of the green ammonia market and summarize the project template used throughout the global portfolio, followed by an…