The Role of Green Ammonia in Sustainable Energy Transition

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable and ecofriendly energy sources necessitates that the industry prepares for the large-scale implementation of green ammonia in future energy supply. This requires an expansion of production and storage capacities, the development of additional infrastructure, and careful regulation. Green ammonia offers significant opportunities as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to fossil raw materials and fuels. Consequently, the industry can enhance its sustainability and promote a circular economy.

Green ammonia offers considerable potential as a hydrogen carrier, where ammonia is much easier to store than hydrogen. It serves as an efficient and sustainable fuel to meet the constant demand for fuels and energy. Due to space constraints and the variable output of energy from solar and wind sources, it stands out as an excellent alternative, given the consistent need for energy and fuel.

Significant experience has been acquired in the processing and storage of ammonia, primarily due to its application in the fertilizer industry. However, with the emergence of numerous new applications, there is expected to be a substantial increase in transport and transshipment volumes. This necessitates the development of new loading and unloading facilities, as well as transportation methods such as ships, tank trucks, and railcars, along with the corresponding regulations to ensure safety. Furthermore, green ammonia is a chemical substance that must be handled with utmost caution. This means that the facilities processing this material must be equipped with the highest security measures, and operators working with green ammonia must receive thorough training.

The activities involved in the transportation, loading, unloading, and processing of ammonia are not solely a matter of safety; they also pertain to mitigating environmental impact. Ammonia, at ambient temperature, is a volatile substance that readily escapes during processing, posing risks to both human health and the environment. Consequently, legislation and regulations have been established to govern the handling of ammonia, specifying permissible emission levels. Emission reduction or prevention is primarily achieved through the use of wet gas scrubbers. A scrubber is generally defined as a cleaning system for harmful gases, operating on the principle of absorption facilitated by an appropriate washing liquid, which is typically water mixed with a dosed additive.

The dosing of chemicals should ultimately result in the degradation of harmful pollutants or their transformation into innocuous components that can be easily disposed of and processed. Furthermore, precise dosing with the appropriate chemicals significantly reduces excessive water consumption.

Ravebo utilizes open-spray systems that operate based on the differential velocity potential of liquid droplets through a distribution system featuring spray nozzles and the incoming gas. The droplets are sprayed countercurrent to the gas flow, facilitating contact with the contaminant particles present in the gas. These droplets are generated under pressure, resulting in a uniform spray pattern characterized by a very fine mist and a significantly large reactive surface area, which leads to highly efficient absorption. The scrubbers exhibit lower and more stable pressure losses compared to packed scrubbers and are less complex in design than both tray columns and venturi scrubbers. Furthermore, the open-spray systems function relatively simply, are highly maintenance-friendly, and incur low energy costs.