Techno-economic analysis of ammonia to hydrogen and power pathways considering the emerging hydrogen purification and fuel cell technologies

Du Wen, Xinyi Wei, Antonin Bruneau, Aris Maroonian, François Maréchal and Jan Van herle

Applied Energy, 2025, vol. 390, issue C, No S0306261925006014

Abstract: Ammonia serves as a promising hydrogen carrier and energy storage medium due to its high hydrogen content, ease of transport, and well-established production infrastructure. This study presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of ammonia-to‑hydrogen (A2H) and ammonia-to-power (A2P) pathways, comparing various process configurations for hydrogen production and power generation. High-temperature ammonia crackers (600 °C) achieve a maximum energy efficiency of 87.55 % and a maximum exergy efficiency of 86.09 %, outperforming lower-temperature crackers (450 °C), which have energy efficiencies ranging from 82.16 % to 86.75 %. Among hydrogen separation technologies, temperature swing adsorption (TSA) incurs the lowest efficiency penalty but at the highest cost, while pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is more energy-intensive but has the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) at 2.81 USD/kg. In the A2P pathway, the integrated system of the high-temperature cracker and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) achieves the highest efficiency of 69.55 % and the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) at 0.145 USD/kWh, underscoring the crucial role of system efficiency in determining LCOE. Conversely, directly combusting hydrogen in a steam Rankine cycle (SRC) results in the lowest efficiency of 33.2 % and the highest LCOE of 0.715 USD/kWh, making it the least viable option. Furthermore, integrating ammonia with existing energy infrastructures creates new opportunities for hydrogen production and power generation. The results highlight ammonia's potential as a cost-effective hydrogen carrier, particularly in renewable-rich regions for large-scale ammonia synthesis and export to high energy cost markets. This study offers insights into optimal strategies for deploying ammonia-based energy solutions, informing future technological developments and policy frameworks for a hydrogen-driven future economy.

Keywords: Ammonia; Decomposition; Fuel cells; Energy storage; Techno-economic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.125871

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