Editors’ Choice—Economic Considerations for Low-Temperature Electrochemical Ammonia Production: Achieving Haber-Bosch Parity

Abstract

Production of ammonia through coupling renewable energy with electrolysis cells will undoubtedly aid in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the ammonia production industry. However, if the cost for electrochemical routes does not reach a Haber-Bosch parity point, then it is unlikely that electrochemical ammonia synthesis will become industrially viable. This promotes a strong need for analyses that explore the economics of various system designs and production scales, to assess what systems and scales can attain Haber-Bosch price parity. Here, we aim to define the Haber-Bosch parity targets for various production scales. We then explore the economic considerations for two electrochemical systems for ammonia synthesis. The first system contains a single electrolysis cell where nitrogen and water are the sole reactants. The second system explores a two-staged electrolysis system. The first stage consists of a water electrolysis cell where water serves as the reactant and hydrogen and oxygen are the products. The second stage consists of a nitrogen electrolysis cell where the reactants are nitrogen and hydrogen and ammonia is the product. We emphasize the important role production scale plays in meeting Haber-Bosch price parity, and highlight the key challenges for electrochemical ammonia production.