Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes

At present, the synthesis of ammonia through the Haber–Bosch (HB) process accounts for 1.2% of the global carbon emissions, representing roughly one-fourth of the global fossil consumption from the chemical industry, which creates a pressing need for alternative low-carbon synthesis routes. Analyzin...

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Autores: D´Angelo, Carlo Sebastiano, Cobo Gutiérrez, Selene|||0000-0002-2879-6261, Tulus, Victor, Nabera, Abhinandan, Martín, Antonio José, Pérez Ramírez, Javier, Guillén Gosálbez, Gonzalo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
Repositorio:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unican.es:10902/33795
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10902/33795
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ammonia synthesis
Haber−Bosch process
LCA
Planetary boundaries
Renewables
Techno-economic analysis
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spelling Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routesD´Angelo, Carlo SebastianoCobo Gutiérrez, Selene|||0000-0002-2879-6261Tulus, VictorNabera, AbhinandanMartín, Antonio JoséPérez Ramírez, JavierGuillén Gosálbez, GonzaloAmmonia synthesisHaber−Bosch processLCAPlanetary boundariesRenewablesTechno-economic analysisAt present, the synthesis of ammonia through the Haber–Bosch (HB) process accounts for 1.2% of the global carbon emissions, representing roughly one-fourth of the global fossil consumption from the chemical industry, which creates a pressing need for alternative low-carbon synthesis routes. Analyzing seven essential planetary boundaries (PBs) for the safe operation of our planet, we find that the standard HB process is unsustainable as it vastly transgresses the climate change PB. In order to identify more responsible strategies from this integrated perspective, we assess the absolute sustainability level of 34 alternative routes where hydrogen (H2) is supplied by steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage, biomass gasification, or water electrolysis powered by various energy sources. We found that some of these scenarios could substantially reduce the global impact of fossil HB, yet alleviating the impact on climate change could critically exacerbate the impacts on other Earth-system processes. Furthermore, we identify that reducing the cost of electrolytic H2 is the main avenue toward the economic appeal of the most sustainable routes. Our work highlights the need to embrace global impacts beyond climate change in the assessment of decarbonization routes of fossil chemicals. This approach enabled us to identify more suitable alternatives and associated challenges toward environmental and economically attractive ammonia synthesis.This publication was created as part of NCCR Catalysis, aNational Centre of Competence in Research funded by theSwiss National Science Foundation.American Chemical SocietyUniversidad de Cantabria20212021-07-26journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501NAhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_be7fb7dd8ff6fe43info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttps://hdl.handle.net/10902/33795ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2021, 9(29), 9740-9749reponame:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabriainstname:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:repositorio.unican.es:10902/337952026-06-02T12:39:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
title Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
spellingShingle Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
D´Angelo, Carlo Sebastiano
Ammonia synthesis
Haber−Bosch process
LCA
Planetary boundaries
Renewables
Techno-economic analysis
title_short Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
title_full Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
title_fullStr Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
title_full_unstemmed Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
title_sort Planetary boundaries analysis of low-carbon ammonia production routes
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv D´Angelo, Carlo Sebastiano
Cobo Gutiérrez, Selene|||0000-0002-2879-6261
Tulus, Victor
Nabera, Abhinandan
Martín, Antonio José
Pérez Ramírez, Javier
Guillén Gosálbez, Gonzalo
author D´Angelo, Carlo Sebastiano
author_facet D´Angelo, Carlo Sebastiano
Cobo Gutiérrez, Selene|||0000-0002-2879-6261
Tulus, Victor
Nabera, Abhinandan
Martín, Antonio José
Pérez Ramírez, Javier
Guillén Gosálbez, Gonzalo
author_role author
author2 Cobo Gutiérrez, Selene|||0000-0002-2879-6261
Tulus, Victor
Nabera, Abhinandan
Martín, Antonio José
Pérez Ramírez, Javier
Guillén Gosálbez, Gonzalo
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidad de Cantabria
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ammonia synthesis
Haber−Bosch process
LCA
Planetary boundaries
Renewables
Techno-economic analysis
topic Ammonia synthesis
Haber−Bosch process
LCA
Planetary boundaries
Renewables
Techno-economic analysis
description At present, the synthesis of ammonia through the Haber–Bosch (HB) process accounts for 1.2% of the global carbon emissions, representing roughly one-fourth of the global fossil consumption from the chemical industry, which creates a pressing need for alternative low-carbon synthesis routes. Analyzing seven essential planetary boundaries (PBs) for the safe operation of our planet, we find that the standard HB process is unsustainable as it vastly transgresses the climate change PB. In order to identify more responsible strategies from this integrated perspective, we assess the absolute sustainability level of 34 alternative routes where hydrogen (H2) is supplied by steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage, biomass gasification, or water electrolysis powered by various energy sources. We found that some of these scenarios could substantially reduce the global impact of fossil HB, yet alleviating the impact on climate change could critically exacerbate the impacts on other Earth-system processes. Furthermore, we identify that reducing the cost of electrolytic H2 is the main avenue toward the economic appeal of the most sustainable routes. Our work highlights the need to embrace global impacts beyond climate change in the assessment of decarbonization routes of fossil chemicals. This approach enabled us to identify more suitable alternatives and associated challenges toward environmental and economically attractive ammonia synthesis.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021
2021-07-26
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
NA
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_be7fb7dd8ff6fe43
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10902/33795
url https://hdl.handle.net/10902/33795
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv American Chemical Society
publisher.none.fl_str_mv American Chemical Society
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2021, 9(29), 9740-9749
reponame:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
instname:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
instname_str Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
reponame_str UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
collection UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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