By Rebecca Todesco, Editor, Mining Magazine
When thinking of renewable energy, usually solar and wind generation are the first sources that spring to mind. However, increased studies and technologies around hydrogen have underscored its growing importance in the green energy transition. Some new reports are going a step further and suggesting a further use for hydrogen: creating electro-fuels (e-fuels).
Australia is well known for its access to renewable energy sources, boasting an abundance of wind and solar power. As such, the journey to meeting Australia’s net zero goals and transitioning to a greener future has piggybacked heavily off these two energy sources.
This is in addition to pumped hydro, as there have been numerous projects springing up across the country, including the Lake Lynell pumped hydro project, Snowy 2.0 and Tasmania’s Battery of the Nation.
As well as this, Australia will soon have access to large amounts of clean hydrogen, with its visibility increasing alongside the other more established sources, and uses for this natural gas are being explored and undergoing feasibility studies, including instances where the natural gas is utilised to create ammonia.
Unpacking ammonia: what is it?
Ammonia is created through the Haber-Bosch process, in which hydrogen is mixed with nitrogen and processed at a high temperature and high pressure, with a catalyst. Ammonia is not the only synthetic liquid electro-fuel that can be created using hydrogen – e-methanol, e-methane, liquid e-hydrocarbons, and e-formic acid can also be produced.
As far as e-fuels go, ammonia in particular has significant potential to decarbonise global shipping fleets, and be used in electricity generation and fertiliser production. However, in order to fully realise ammonia’s potential in electricity generation, development of new pipeline and storage infrastructure is needed, including at ports.
In its liquid form, hydrogen can be exported from Australia, with trial shipments commencing in January 2022. An alternative to this is converting the hydrogen to ammonia or other hydrogen containing compounds prior to exporting it. Ammonia is easier to transport than hydrogen and opens the door for increased Australian-produced hydrogen.
Low emissions ammonia production
Decarbonised electricity is already contributing to meeting current energy needs but there are still industrial activities which rely heavily on fuel, including shipping, aviation, raw material production, and heavy-duty transport. One suggested solution is producing and using hydrogen through low carbon emission technologies and then potentially converting it to ammonia.
The process of ammonia production through the carbonintensive Haber-Bosch process largely relies on fossil fuels to reach necessary temperatures and pressures. This process is emissions and energy intensive, which is why the Hydrogen to Ammonia Research and Development project was launched by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Running from 2018 through to 2022, the project was conducted with the goal of developing an ammonia production process that is less energy intensive than the conventional Haber-Bosch process and does not contribute to any greenhouse gas emissions.
The process proposed by the project will develop technology that will enable ammonia production from renewable sources with 25 per cent less energy input per tonne of ammonia. The process has a number of benefits, including allowing ammonia production at lower pressures. The process also reduces the necessary energy input per tonne of ammonia, and is less capital intensive.
The efficiency improvements and lower levelised cost highlight progress in the journey of ammonia being used as an energy vector for renewable energy export.
Ammonia around the world
Ammonia’s potential in the energy transition is being recognised around the world for a multitude of uses, including in co-firing existing coal or gas fired power plants. Using hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels, like ammonia, will enable these existing plants to contribute to electricity security while also rapidly lowering emissions.
Trials of ammonia co-firing coal-fired plants are already underway, with the goal of eventually moving to 100 per cent ammonia fuelling. Japan is striving for three million tonnes of ammonia use by 2030 – enough to co-fire approximately 6GW of coal fired plants at 20 per cent co-firing level.
There are feasibility studies currently underway around the globe to investigate further uses of hydrogen. In September 2020, the Australian and German Governments agreed to fund a joint feasibility study to explore hydrogen supply chains. Additionally, Australia has formed a partnership with Singapore aiming to reduce emissions in port and maritime operations through the usage of low emissions fuels like ammonia, hydrogen and other hydrogen derivatives.
In September 2022, ARENA kicked off the Yuri Renewable Hydrogen to Ammonia Project, aimed at developing one of theworld’s first industrial-scale renewable hydrogen projects to provide feedstock into Yara Pilbara Fertilisers’ (Yara) existing ammonia operations near Karratha, Western Australia.
The project will enlist a 10MW electrolyser powered by 18MW of solar PV and supported by an 8MW battery energy storage system, to create renewable hydrogen, which will then be used to produce renewable ammonia at the neighbouring liquid ammonia plant.
It is hoped that this project will bolster the business case for renewable hydrogen and grow Australia’s renewable ammonia industry. The project will also showcase the development of a renewable hydrogen and renewable ammonia industry in Australia and is expected to conclude in December 2027.
Australia’s hydrogen and ammonia potential
A recent report by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has delved deeper into Australia’s potential as a major global provider of clean hydrogen, and explored ammonia as a resource that Australia can potentially become a global supplier of.
Australia’s Emerging Hydrogen and Ammonia Industry introduces the idea that clean ammonia shares the same game-changing potential as hydrogen in the global race to net zero emissions by 2050. The report introduces the idea that alongside being a clean hydrogen provider, Australia can also be a leading global supplier of clean ammonia.
In the report, MCA CEO, Tania Constable, said that clean hydrogen already plays a monumental role in most scenarios in which the world decarbonises by 2050.
“The International Energy Agency suggests clean hydrogen production will need to double by 2030 and increase six-fold by 2050 to meet this target. This is an increase from current annual production levels of around 90 million tonnes (Mt) to more than 530Mt.”
Ms Constable said that Australia can be a low cost source of clean hydrogen and ammonia and the report shows that it is clear the emerging clean hydrogen and ammonia opportunity is substantial for Australia and Australian mining.
“With substantial carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) sites in Victoria and Queensland, competitive and accessible coal reserves, natural gas and significant renewable energy generation capacity, Australia is well placed to meet growing international and domestic demand for this important fuel,” Ms Constable said.
Although large-scale ammonia and hydrogen are currently expensive, the report encourages forward thinking, saying that hard work and ingenuity is the key to unlocking Australia’s green energy potential.
