H2U Port Lincoln pilot project: Decarbonizing ammonia production should not involve hydrogen turbines

May 19, 2020 | Case Study

Unlocking the full potential of hydrogen in the energy transition requires finding multiple revenue streams for electrolyzers, a strategy called sector coupling. A possible vector for sector coupling is ammonia, a major industrial chemical used in fertilizer production and potentially power production. Its production is also responsible for 5% of all industrial CO₂ emissions and is the largest contributor to emissions in the chemicals industry, which continues to drive innovation in electrochemical production routes spurred by decarbonization efforts. Even with sector coupling, green hydrogen, which is used to produce green ammonia, struggles to compete with conventional methane reforming. However, with green hydrogen costs expected to drop in the coming decades, governmental, industrial consortium, and academic efforts continue to develop pilot hydrogen and ammonia projects to gain operational data on possible routes to decarbonize difficult parts of the energy and industrial sectors.