CHE.08 Water Electrolysis for Ammonia Production

• Naomi Groza
• Najmin Isa
• Thomas Nguyen
• Jerome Reginold

With the increasing demand for ammonia due to its manufactured products like fertilizer and nitric acid, this resource has proven to be valuable and in need. Around 70 percent of worldwide ammonia usage is utilized in the agricultural industry for fertilizers. In addition to fertilizer production, ammonia is utilized for a variety of industrial purposes, including plastics, explosives, and synthetic fibers. The issue with current ammonia production is that the main methods that are implemented are emission hungry and utilize fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal. Natural gas-based steam reforming to produce hydrogen for ammonia synthesis accounts for just over 70 percent of ammonia production, with coal gasification accounting for the majority of the remaining 30 percent. To meet the increasing demand and reduce emissions, we designed a process to produce 1,000 tons of ammonia per day via water electrolysis at a plant in Port Neches, East Texas. The Red River and its surrounding water treatment facilities offer a reliable source of water. Additionally, many nitrogen-producing facilities are in close proximity to the plant location, allowing for easy access to the nitrogen necessary for the production of ammonia. The main principle used to produce ammonia is the Haber-Bosch process. Producing ammonia requires an immense amount of energy, thus water electrolysis is implemented. Furthermore, hydrogen is a main feedstock for the synthesis of ammonia, so water electrolysis is used to produce the hydrogen with the oxygen byproduct sold. By using electrolysis, the process is more eco-friendly as it avoids the production of CO2. In order to keep with the theme of making this a green process, we also used renewable energy sources, as opposed to natural gas sources, to produce electricity to power various units within the process. Along with the challenges posed by the process, water electrolysis in ammonia production introduces the significant benefits of a more sustainable and environmentally friendly process.