Entry of the Electrolytic Ammonia Industry: Incentives and Effects

Abstract

Ammonia is an essential chemical to agriculture because of its tremendous positive impact on plant nitrogen uptake. Furthermore, due to its possible use as a hydrogen energy vector, ammonia is being considered as a method for green energy storage for the hydrogen economy. Ammonia production is traditionally a carbon-intensive process due to using natural gas as a feedstock. However, efforts are being made to reduce its carbon footprint through methods such as electrolysis, which uses water as the feedstock for hydrogen rather than natural gas. This thesis uses engineering and economics techniques to evaluate the viability and economics associated with producing and using electrolytic ammonia in Canada's food and energy sectors.