A novel energy integration process for offshore modular green ammonia production systems

View at publisher
Authors: Xin Zhou, Yani Wang, Dongrui Zhang, Mengzhen Zhu, Hao Yan, Yibin Liu, Chaohe Yang, Dehui Deng, S. Fu, Jia Yang, Xuezhi Duan, X Xiuzhen Feng
+1 more De CHEN
Cited by: 1
References: 49

Abstract

Abstract Ammonia, as a strategic hydrogen derivative, enables intercontinental energy trade. However, marine applications lack thermal integration studies under spatial and intermittent constraints. Herein, we propose a novel Heat Recovery Multi‐Stage Seawater Vacuum Distillation for Electrolytic Water and Ammonia Generation Process (HR‐SDEA) that synergistically combines waste heat recovery with multi‐stage seawater desalination and ammonia synthesis. This advanced configuration reduces external steam reliance by 40% through repurposing electrolyzer waste heat compared to Seawater vacuum Distillation for Electrolytic water and Ammonia generation process (SDEA), with a modular design suiting offshore environments. Compared with SDEA, the non‐renewable energy demand (NED) decreases by 9.56% and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduce by 11.58% per ton of ammonia. Particularly, this configuration reduces carbon emissions by 87.68% and energy consumption by 83.89% over traditional coal‐to‐ammonia process (CTA) technologies. Combining thermal optimization and modularity, this work breaks bottlenecks for green H 2 ‐NH 3 chains, enabling viable offshore ammonia.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies

Publication details

Journal / source
AIChE Journal
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
72
Issue
4
Publication date
22 January 2026
Language
EN