Ammonia as an energy vector: Current and future prospects for low-carbon fuel applications in internal combustion engines

Perspective on the hydrogen economy as a pathway to reach net-zero CO2emissions in Europe

“…109 Besides renewables-based hydrocarbons, ammonia represents the most prominently discussed carbon-free hydrogen-based fuel, 110,111 which could be used in a range of applications. [112][113][114] In a similar way as synthetic hydrocarbon-based chemicals enable the sector coupling of the electricity and the chemical industry, ammonia acts as a link between the fuel and the fertilizer industry (and potentially transportation). As with hydrogen, there is strong advocacy for a ''methanol economy'' 115 or an ''ammonia economy''.…”

Recent Advances in Ammonia Combustion Technology in Thermal Power Generation System for Carbon Emission Reduction

“…Ammonia was first studied as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines rather than for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As available resources became scarce due to World War II, interest was drawn in fuels other than fossil fuels, and accordingly, the possibility of using ammonia as a fuel drew attention [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. The technology of using ammonia as a fuel in automobile internal combustion engines has been used for trucks in Norway since the 1930s, and was developed in Belgium in 1943 [17].…”

Small-Scale Biomass Gasification for Green Ammonia Production in Portugal: A Techno-Economic Study

“…Ammonia, on the other hand, stands as a highly efficient hydrogen carrier given its high hydrogen content (17.8 wt %), while benefiting from an already fully established and flexible infrastructure capable of mitigating hydrogen's key drawbacks. 5 Plus, ammonia is much easier to liquefy; hence ,hydrogen storage and transportation in the form of liquid ammonia is more cost effective. 6 This symbiotic relationship places green ammonia and green hydrogen as true mutual enablers toward a carbonneutral value chain.…”

“…Recent literature assessed the potential pathways for green ammonia production, to which biomass gasification has been promoted as a promising method due to its energy efficiency, environmental performance, hydrogen-rich syngas, and high flexibility in dealing with alternative feedstocks (e.g., agricultural wastes, forestry residues, plastics, and solid waste). 7,8 The techno-economic aspects of biomass gasification for green ammonia production were covered by Tunået al 9 who evaluated its production through various renewable energy sources (wind power, biogas, and biomass) employing different plant size scales (1,3,5,10,and 50 MW). Estimates showed ammonia production costs ranging from 680 to 2300 $/ton for the various cases, with biomass gasification delivering the lowest production costs due to economy-of-scale effects and lower feedstock cost.…”

“…10 The promising nature of green ammonia together with the need to contribute toward its technological development has turned green ammonia research into one of the hottest topics for future energy applications. 5 To aid this transition, Portugal presents favorable and unique conditions for hydrogen and green ammonia production, owing to its strategic geographic location, high penetration of renewables, and very competitive renewable electricity production prices, placing Portugal as a strong contender in the European Hydrogen Economy. 4 However, the literature is rather sparse in terms of technical and economic studies depicting the current hydrogen and green ammonia opportunities in this country.…”