title: Impact Assessment and Environmental Evaluation of Various Ammonia Production Processes.
abstract: In the current study, conventional resources-based ammonia generation routes are comparatively studied through a comprehensive life cycle assessment. The selected ammonia generation options range from mostly used steam methane reforming to partial oxidation of heavy oil. The chosen ammonia synthesis process is the most common commercially available Haber-Bosch process. The essential energy input for the methods are used from various conventional resources such as coal, nuclear, natural gas and heavy oil. Using the life cycle assessment methodology, the environmental impacts of selected methods are identified and quantified from cradle to gate. The life cycle assessment outcomes of the conventional resources based ammonia production routes show that nuclear electrolysis-based ammonia generation method yields the lowest global warming and climate change impacts while the coal-based electrolysis options bring higher environmental problems. The calculated greenhouse gas emission from nuclear-based electrolysis is 0.48 kg CO2equivalent while it is 13.6 kg CO2per kg of ammonia for coal-based electrolysis method.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, Canada, L1H 7K4. yusuf.bicer@uoit.ca.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4753-7764
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bicer
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, Canada, L1H 7K4.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dincer
authors.affiliation: Hydrofuel, Inc., B7-1240 Eglinton Avenue West, Unit 71, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5V 0B6.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vezina
authors.affiliation: Hydrofuel, Inc., B7-1240 Eglinton Avenue West, Unit 71, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L5V 0B6.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raso
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002617:Chemical Industry; D057231:Climate Change; D003031:Coal; D004777:Environment; D008697:Methane; D009678:Nuclear Energy
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000641:Ammonia; D008697:Methane
keywords: Ammonia; Conventional; Environmental effect; Fuel; Hydrogen; Life cycle assessment