IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v372y2024ics0306261924011723.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decarbonizing urea: Techno-economic and environmental analysis of a model hydroelectricity and carbon capture based green urea production

Author

Listed:
  • Devkota, Sijan
  • Karmacharya, Pratistha
  • Maharjan, Sherila
  • Khatiwada, Dilip
  • Uprety, Bibek

Abstract

This study reports a comprehensive techno-economic and environmental assessment of a realistic pathway for decarbonizing the urea industry. The proposed green urea synthesis plant utilizes hydroelectricity-powered electrolysis process and carbon capture from cement flue gas to create sustainable and environmentally friendly production process. Utilizing Aspen Plus and MATLAB, this study first, models the electrolysis, air separation, ammonia synthesis, carbon capture and urea synthesis units, and then evaluates the economic and environmental parameters of the synthesis process. Furthermore, the study highlights the transformative impacts of carbon credit and the renewable energy prices on the profitability metrics of the green urea plant. For the proposed 220 kt/year urea plant, the total energy consumption is 8.18 × 106 GJ/year with the electrolysis unit accounting for half of the energy demand. The estimated total capital investment for the urea plant is 510.79 million USD, with an annual operating expenditure of 156.02 million USD. The urea synthesis unit accounted for half of the total capital expenditure, while electricity contributed to the largest proportion (73%) of the operating expenses. The levelized cost for urea (LCOU) is estimated to be 570.96 USD/t which is approximately 62.2% higher than the urea obtained from conventional process. The electrolyzer unit contributed to 34.4% of the total LCOU. Sensitivity analysis showed that 30% decrease in the electricity price from the base case could lower the LCOU by 27%. The global warming potential of the proposed green urea process is 326.11 kg CO2/t of urea. Lower hydroelectricity prices and carbon credit opportunities significantly improve the economic viability of the green urea production process.

Suggested Citation

  • Devkota, Sijan & Karmacharya, Pratistha & Maharjan, Sherila & Khatiwada, Dilip & Uprety, Bibek, 2024. "Decarbonizing urea: Techno-economic and environmental analysis of a model hydroelectricity and carbon capture based green urea production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 372(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:372:y:2024:i:c:s0306261924011723
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123789
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261924011723
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123789?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bhandari, Ramchandra & Subedi, Subodh, 2023. "Evaluation of surplus hydroelectricity potential in Nepal until 2040 and its use for hydrogen production via electrolysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 403-414.
    2. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    3. Marta G. Plaza & Sergio Martínez & Fernando Rubiera, 2020. "CO 2 Capture, Use, and Storage in the Cement Industry: State of the Art and Expectations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-28, October.
    4. Zhang, Hanfei & Wang, Ligang & Van herle, Jan & Maréchal, François & Desideri, Umberto, 2021. "Techno-economic comparison of 100% renewable urea production processes," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    5. Errico, Massimiliano & Madeddu, Claudio & Pinna, Daniele & Baratti, Roberto, 2016. "Model calibration for the carbon dioxide-amine absorption system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 958-968.
    6. Devkota, Sijan & Cha, Jin-Young & Shin, Beom-Ju & Mun, Ji-Hun & Yoon, Hyung Chul & Mazari, Shaukat Ali & Moon, Jong-Ho, 2024. "Techno-economic and environmental assessment of hydrogen production through ammonia decomposition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    7. Sagel, Victor N. & Rouwenhorst, Kevin H.R. & Faria, Jimmy A., 2022. "Green ammonia enables sustainable energy production in small island developing states: A case study on the island of Curaçao," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    8. Sinwoo Lee & Dong-Woon Noh & Dong-hyun Oh, 2018. "Characterizing the Difference between Indirect and Direct CO 2 Emissions: Evidence from Korean Manufacturing Industries, 2004–2010," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Madeddu, Claudio & Errico, Massimiliano & Baratti, Roberto, 2018. "Process analysis for the carbon dioxide chemical absorption–regeneration system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 532-542.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michele Bertone & Luca Stabile & Gino Cortellessa & Fausto Arpino & Giorgio Buonanno, 2024. "Techno-Economic Assessment of Amine-Based Carbon Capture in Waste-to-Energy Incineration Plant Retrofit," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Meng, Wenliang & Wang, Dongliang & Zhou, Huairong & Yang, Yong & Li, Hongwei & Liao, Zuwei & Yang, Siyu & Hong, Xiaodong & Li, Guixian, 2023. "Carbon dioxide from oxy-fuel coal-fired power plant integrated green ammonia for urea synthesis: Process modeling, system analysis, and techno-economic evaluation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(C).
    3. Khushbu Mishra & Abdoul G. Sam & Gracious M. Diiro & Mario J. Miranda, 2020. "Gender and the dynamics of technology adoption: Empirical evidence from a household‐level panel data," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 857-870, November.
    4. Rezaei, Mostafa & Akimov, Alexandr & Gray, Evan MacA., 2024. "Techno-economics of renewable hydrogen export: A case study for Australia-Japan," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 374(C).
    5. Fujimoto, Takefumi & Suzuki, Aya, 2021. "Do Fertilizer and Seed Subsidies Strengthen Farmers' Market Participation? the Impact of Tanzania NAIVS on Farmers' Purchase of Agricultural Inputs and Their Maize-Selling Activities," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315044, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Das, Nandini & Gupta, Anubhab & Majumder, Binoy & Das, Mahamitra & Muniappan, Rangaswamy, 2024. "Does Training Farmers on Multiple Technologies Deter Adoption? Evidence from a Farm Management Training Program in Bangladesh," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343784, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Jacob, Ron M. & Tokheim, Lars-André, 2023. "Electrified calciner concept for CO2 capture in pyro-processing of a dry process cement plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    8. Azizbek Kamolov & Zafar Turakulov & Patrik Furda & Miroslav Variny & Adham Norkobilov & Marcos Fallanza, 2024. "Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of Post-Combustion Carbon Capture in an NGCC Power Plant in Uzbekistan," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-32, October.
    9. Zhao, Fei & Li, Yalou & Zhou, Xiaoxin & Wang, Dandan & Wei, Yawei & Li, Fang, 2023. "Co-optimization of decarbonized operation of coal-fired power plants and seasonal storage based on green ammonia co-firing," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    10. Gonzalo Villa‐Cox & Francesco Cavazza & Cristian Jordan & Mijail Arias‐Hidalgo & Paúl Herrera & Ramon Espinel & Davide Viaggi & Stijn Speelman, 2021. "Understanding constraints on private irrigation adoption decisions under uncertainty in data constrained settings: A novel empirical approach tested on Ecuadorian Cocoa cultivations," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(6), pages 985-999, November.
    11. Ilea, Flavia-Maria & Cormos, Ana-Maria & Cristea, Vasile-Mircea & Cormos, Calin-Cristian, 2023. "Enhancing the post-combustion carbon dioxide carbon capture plant performance by setpoints optimization of the decentralized multi-loop and cascade control system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    12. Ahmed, Shoaib & Li, Tie & Yi, Ping & Chen, Run, 2023. "Environmental impact assessment of green ammonia-powered very large tanker ship for decarbonized future shipping operations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    13. Maria Salud Camilleri-Rumbau & Kelly Briceño & Lene Fjerbæk Søtoft & Knud Villy Christensen & Maria Cinta Roda-Serrat & Massimiliano Errico & Birgir Norddahl, 2021. "Treatment of Manure and Digestate Liquid Fractions Using Membranes: Opportunities and Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-30, March.
    14. Lore Abart-Heriszt & Susanna Erker & Gernot Stoeglehner, 2019. "The Energy Mosaic Austria—A Nationwide Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory on Municipal Level as Action Field of Integrated Spatial and Energy Planning," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-22, August.
    15. Kate Vaiknoras & Catherine Larochelle, 2023. "Training and seed production spillovers and technology adoption: The case of seed producer groups in Nepal," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(6), pages 921-942, November.
    16. Shen, Peiliang & Jiang, Yi & Zhang, Yangyang & Liu, Songhui & Xuan, Dongxing & Lu, Jianxin & Zhang, Shipeng & Poon, Chi Sun, 2023. "Production of aragonite whiskers by carbonation of fine recycled concrete wastes: An alternative pathway for efficient CO2 sequestration," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    17. Wilckyster Nyateko Nyarindo & Amin Mugera & Atakelty Hailu & Gideon Aiko Obare, 2024. "Do combined sustainable agricultural intensification practices improve smallholder farmers welfare? Evidence from eastern and western Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(2), pages 296-312, March.
    18. Denise Hörner & Adrien Bouguen & Markus Frölich & Meike Wollni, 2022. "Knowledge and Adoption of Complex Agricultural Technologies: Evidence from an Extension Experiment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 68-90.
    19. Bairagi, Subir & Bhandari, Humnath & Kumar Das, Subrata & Mohanty, Samarendu, 2021. "Flood-tolerant rice improves climate resilience, profitability, and household consumption in Bangladesh," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    20. Tanko, Mohammed, 2022. "Nexus of risk preference, culture and religion in the adoption of improved rice varieties: Evidence from Northern Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:372:y:2024:i:c:s0306261924011723. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.