Flexible Production of Green Ammonia : An Optimisation Approach to Cost-Efficient and Adaptable Power to Ammonia Production in Denmark
Year: 2023
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The majority of global ammonia production relies on non-renewable energy, as green\nammonia is substantially more expensive. However, the energy landscape is changing,\nand countries like Denmark are expanding their capacity in renewable energy. Given this\nincrease in renewable capacity, demand for ammonia, and net-zero solutions, it is essential\nto reduce the total cost of ammonia and increase its competitiveness.\nThe primary objective of this thesis is to study the feasibility of decreasing the overall cost\nof ammonia in the established renewable market of Denmark. The ammonia production\nconfiguration considered in this thesis consists of alkaline water electrolysis and Haber-\nBosch synthesis. We employed a multi-period, mixed integer optimisation model over the\nthree coming decades and adjusted key elements to see their effect on cost. The ammonia\nsystem considered is grid-connected to the west Denmark electricity grid DK1 and utilise\nhistorical NordPool data from the same electricity grid for our optimization model.\nThe findings indicates that savings of up to 1,5 percent are possible for ammonia production,\nwhen utilising excess production capacity and the capabilities are improved to satisfy\nannual demand. The savings occur as a result of more production during advantageous\ntime periods. However, excessive production capacity increases costs as a result of the\nsystems capabilities. Furthermore, we find intermediate hydrogen storage to not be\nbeneficial, except for long-term periods of extreme electricity price volatility with no\nexcess production capacity. Additionally, the alkaline electrolysis should be minimized\nin relations to the appropriate excess production capacity of the Haber-Bosch synthesis\ngiven its high degradation.
Authors: Ellertsen, John Kristian, Haugen, Sondre Gunnar
Language: English
Subfield: Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6991106430