Techno-economic analysis of small-scale electro-ammonia production in a port platform for maritime transport
Maritime transport is energy-efficient but remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Renewable electricity-based ammonia (e-NH3) has emerged as a promising alternative, particularly through small-scale, modular production. Assessing its economic viability is essential for future adoption, and techn...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Cantabria (UC) |
| Repositorio: | UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:ucreareposit::806056466114fb033ab91fba1966bf01 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10902/40349 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Ammonia e-NH3 plant Small scale Green hydrogen Renewable energy Technoeconomic assessment Offshore LCOA |
| Sumario: | Maritime transport is energy-efficient but remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Renewable electricity-based ammonia (e-NH3) has emerged as a promising alternative, particularly through small-scale, modular production. Assessing its economic viability is essential for future adoption, and techno-economic analysis offers a structured way to evaluate its feasibility. This study investigates the cost performance of a small-scale offshore e-NH3 plant of 2.4 tons per day (tpd) at the Port of Santander, Spain, based on nitrogen obtained via membrane separation and hydrogen from electrolysis of pretreated seawater. The results are based on process simulation outcomes obtained using ASPEN v14, and the detailed cost breakdown is derived from modular costing methodologies applied to preliminary process designs and sensitivity analyses of the levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) with respect to the main variables. A comparative review of LCOA values reported in the literature for offshore and onshore e-NH3 plants is provided. An estimated CAPEX of 5.99 M EUR (equivalent to 0.53 M EUR/y), OPEX of 1.58 M EUR/y, and an LCOA of 2408 EUR/tNH3 are obtained, with equipment investment and operating costs identified as the most influential parameters. The results highlight the need for supraregional techno-economic studies considering optimal offshore wind availability within a collaborative interregional framework. |
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