Ammonia is the main product of the fertilizer industry. Developing countries account for the majority of worldwide production. About 77% of ammonia production is based on steam reforming of natural gas, with most of the remaining production based on heavy-oil or coal-based processes. A further shift from heavy-oil or coal-based to gas-based processes can strongly reduce energy use and emissions.
Ammonia is synthesized from nitrogen and hydrogen. The required nitrogen is obtained from the air and hydrogen is mostly produced from natural gas in a steam reforming process.
The International Energy Agency estimates that 77% of ammonia production is based on natural gas. Another 14%, mainly in China, is based on coal gasification. India and China also use partial oxidation of oil products and heavy hydrocarbon fractions (IEA, 2007). Gas-based processes are the most energy efficient. Heavy-oil processes typically use 1.3 times as much energy and coal based processes even 1.7 times as much (IEA, 2007). Replacing old ammonia production capacity by new natural gas-based steam reforming processes can therefore strongly improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Gas-based technologies are widely used in all regions of the world. The technology is supplied by a limited number of companies and new plants tend to operate at comparable energy efficiency. The most energy efficient technology available is the auto-thermal reforming process, which combines partial oxidation and steam reforming technology and uses about 28 GJ/ton (IPCC, 2007).
A requirement for the use of gas-based technology is the availability of natural gas at a competitive price.
Almost all nitrogen fertilisers are based on ammonia. Production has been on the rise in developing countries which have a high fertiliser demand. In 1974, developing countries accounted for only 27 % of ammonia production capacity. By 1998 this share had increased to 51% (IPPC, 2007).
Global ammonia production was 125 million tonnes in 2008 with China being the world’s largest ammonia producer (IFA, 2010). In China, about 70% of ammonia is derived from coal, 10% from oil products and 20% from natural gas. Coal-based processes are used in small-scale and medium sized plants.
India is the second largest ammonia producer. About two-thirds of production capacity there is based on natural gas. The remainder uses naphtha and fuel oil. Gas-based plants in India use on average 36,5 GJ/ton ammonia.
Mainly because of the differences in the type of feedstock, large differences exist between the energy intensity of ammonia production in different regions of the world (Table 1). But at gas-based plants many different energy efficiency improvement measures are also possible (IPPC, 2007).
| Region | Energy intensity (GJ/t NH3) | Region | Energy intensity (GJ/t NH3) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Western Europe |
35.0 |
Other Asia |
37.0 |
|
North America |
37.9 |
Latin America |
36.0 |
|
Commonwealth of Independent States |
39.9 |
Africa |
36.0 |
|
Central European countries |
43.6 |
Middle East |
36.0 |
|
China |
48.8 |
Oceania |
36.0 |
|
India |
43.3 |
World |
41.6 |
The International Energy Agency estimates that in 2004, total energy and feedstock use for ammonia production amounted to 4,3 Exajoules of natural gas, 0,6 Exajoules of oil and 1,2 Exajoules of coal. Ammonia production is therefore responsible for about 20% of all energy consumption in the chemical industry.
Environmental benefits of switching to gas-based processes are reduced emission of CO2 and improved energy efficiency. But there may be an adverse effect on energy security when oil and coal are more readily available than natural gas.
A steady supply of affordable fertilizers is essential for the development of agriculture. Modernizing or replacing older and less efficient plants can help fertiliser industries to stay competitive. However, new ammonia plants require large capital investments.
Prices of fuels vary from country to country. but generally speaking, natural gas costs make up 70-90% of the ammonia production costs (IEA, 2007). Whether higher gas prices result in higher ammonia prices depends on the global supply situation, so the choice of fuel can have an important impact on the profitability of the industry. A fuel switch is a fundamental process change, which requires large investments. However, modernizing or replacing older and less efficient plants can be profitable investment decisions in the long term. (IEA, 2007)
Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), Policy Studies
Stanford researchers have developed a method for converting ammonia in wastewater into nitrogen gas while simultaneously generating power in a bioreactor system. This method produces energy from carbon and nitrogen waste and provides significant cost and energy savings over current options.
Dr. Glenn Miller within the University of Nevada Reno Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science (NRES) focuses on the transport and transformation of organic and inorganic compounds. Dr. Miller’s lab has a long-term interest in the environmental photochemistry of organic compounds and recently is focusing on the photolysis of pesticides on soil surfaces and in the gas phase. They are also working on a variety of projects related to contamination from mining sites both from current precious metals mining sites and historic mines.
This technology is capable of selectively reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) potent greenhouse gases that are produced during combustion of fossil fuels. The catalyst by employing pillared interlayered clay structures more efficiently reduces nitrogen oxides and is more compatible with sulfur-containing fuels than the vanadia based commercial catalysts currently available. Nitrogen oxides are produced during the combustion of fossil fuels and emitted in the resulting exhaust gas streams. They are potent greenhouse gases and considered a toxic pollutant.
A method for converting ammonia in wastewater into nitrogen gas while simultaneously generating power in a bioreactor system. This method produces energy from carbon and nitrogen waste and provides significant cost and energy savings over current options. Using bacteria in carefully controlled aerobic and anoxic reaction phases the organisms in the bioreactor convert ammonia into nitrite in a first stage at an extremely low dissolved oxygen level and subsequently convert nitrite into nitrous oxide gas in a second anoxic stage through either biotic or abiotic mechanisms.
The company provides 1. Water and Wastewater consulting services 2. Monitoring system: Usage of horizontal motion of our system across Aeration Basin to programmable monitor - Dissolved Oxygen % Temperature Optional: Ammonia and more - in order to better control air inlets.
Technology Applications:
To achieve high yields of glucose and other products for use in biofuels and bio-based chemicals lignocellulose must first be pretreated. The goal of pretreatment is to decrease the crystallinity of cellulose increase the biomass surface area remove hemicellulose and break the lignin seal. Current pretreatments use liquid ammonia dilute acid organosolvents and steam among others. Each of these methods has drawbacks in its ability to effectively and efficiently pretreat and process lignocellulosic biomass.
A water based cleaning composition suitable for use in tape drives including very small quantities of a surfactant preferably a tridecyl alcohol ether of polyoxyethylene and an ionic salt of ammonia is disclosed. The quantity of surfactant is such that it is totally water soluble and furthermore does not exist as a free solvent susceptible to evaporation into the environment. The combination of the surfactant and an ionic salt of ammonia preferably ammonium carbonate enhances detergency and the suspension of debris without leaving a residue.
ACES21 provides both energy saving and plant cost reduction in urea production supported by the following features:
North Carolina State University is seeking an industry partner to commercialize a novel method for the ionic liquid based pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials for biofuel production. US Patent No. 8182557 has issued on this technology.Ethanol is gaining in popularity as an alternative fuel and is currently primarily made from the starch in kernels of field corn. However the use of corn as a starting material is a severe limitation since corn is a valuable food source.