Power-to-Ammonia:
Rethinking the role of ammonia - from a
value added product to a flexible energy
carrier (FlexNH3)
Andras Perl
FlexNH3 project
Report No.: TESIS15001
Project period: October 2015 to April 2016
Cooperation between
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Proton Ventures BV Energy Valley,
TKI Power2X system integration subsidy program-line of the Netherlands
Enterprise Agency (RVO).
The work focused on the feasibility of using ammonia as a
flexible renewable energy carrier
Calculations for local and national scenarios
Theoreticized production vs measured consumption
333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 6 8 10 12 14 16E
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Day of the year
Total electricity consumption on a national level Estimated renewable + nuclear electricity production
National scale scenario
Year: 2013
Assumed wind capacity: 15 GW Assumed solar capacity: 1.5 GW Electricity consumption: TenneT data
Theoreticized production vs measured consumption
National scale scenario
Year: 2013
Assumed wind capacity: 15 GW Assumed solar capacity: 1.5 GW Electricity consumption: TenneT data
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 2 4
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Day of the year
340 345 350 355 360 365 0 1 2 E x c e s s e le c tr . p ro d u c ti o n ( G W )Theoreticized production vs measured consumption
National scale scenario
Year: 2013
Assumed wind capacity: 20 GW Assumed solar capacity: 2 GW Electricity consumption: TenneT data
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 2 4 6 8
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Theoreticized production vs measured consumption
National scale scenario
Year: 2013
Assumed wind capacity: 25 GW Assumed solar capacity: 2.5 GW Electricity consumption: TenneT data
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
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Power to ammonia concept
Economical feasibility large scale
National scale scenario
Assumptions:
Electrolyzer power: 300 MW
Year: 2013
Assumed wind capacity: 15 GW Assumed solar capacity: 1.5 GW Electricity consumption: TenneT data Selling price of ammonia: 400 Є/tonne
Capital cost of H2storage: 30 €/kg (salt cavern) Maintenance costs: 2.5 % per year
11500 tonne ammonia/year 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 50 100 150 200 250 300
m
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Years
Cumulativ costs Cumulativ income Break-even pointEconomical feasibility large scale
National scale scenario
Year: 2013 The effect of the
electrolyzer size on the amount of produced ammonia. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300
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Electrolyzer power (GW)
20 GW installed wind power and 2 GW solar 25 GW installed wind power and 2.5 GW solar
Economical feasibility large scale
National scale scenario
Assumptions:
Year: 2013
Electricity consumption: TenneT data Selling price of ammonia: 400 Є/tonne Capital cost of H2storage: 30 €/kg Maintenance costs: 2.5 % per year
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
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Electrolyzer power (GW)
20 GW installed wind power and 2 GW solar 25 GW installed wind power and 2.5 GW solar
Power to ammonia on a local scale
Ammonia
production
has to be
continuous
min. 20%
capacity
Economical feasibility local scale
Local scale scenario
Assumptions:
1.5 MW wind power is installed
Location: Hoek van Holland
Year: 2013 Year: 2013
Capital cost of wind turbines: 1350 €/kW Selling price of ammonia: 400 Є/tonne Capital cost of H2storage: 900 €/kg Maintenance costs: 2.5 % per year Electricity price 0.08 €/kWh 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 10 20 30 40 50 60
with hydrogen buffer no hydrogen storage
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Electrolyzer power (kW)
Economical feasibility local scale
Local scale scenario
Assumptions:
15 MW wind power is installed
Location: Hoek van Holland
Year: 2013
The effect of the electrolyzer size on the amount of
produced ammonia. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 2 4 6 8 10
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Electrolyzer power (MW)
with hydrogen buffer no hydrogen storage
Economical feasibility local scale
Local scale scenario
Assumptions:
15 MW wind power is installed
Location: Hoek van Holland
Year: 2013
Capital cost of wind turbines: 1350 €/kW Selling price of ammonia: 400 Є/tonne Capital cost of H2storage: 900 €/kg Maintenance costs: 2.5 % per year Electricity price 0.08 €/kWh 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 5 10 15 20
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Electrolyzer power (MW)
with hydrogen buffer no hydrogen storage
Economical feasibility local scale
Local scale scenario
Assumptions:
15 MW wind power is installed
Year: 2013
Capital cost of wind turbines: 1350 €/kW Selling price of ammonia: 400 Є/tonne Capital cost of H2storage: 900 €/kg Maintenance costs: 2.5 % per year Electricity price 0.08 €/kWh 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
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Electrolyzer power (MW)
Hoek van Holland, no hydrogen storage Nieuw Beerta, no hydrogen storage
Conclusions
Power-to-ammonia plant at a local scale:
- tens of MW nominal wind power is required
- feasibility is location and weather pattern specific
- hydrogen storage is significant for the economics
Power-to-ammonia at a very large scale
- feasible business case only when more than 20000
MW wind power is installed on a national scale
Centre of Expertise Energy
