Multiphase electrolysers for renewable ammonia production
R&D Focus Areas:
Direct hydrogen carrier production, Industrial feedstock processes, Ammonia
Lead Organisation:
University of New South Wales (Sydney)
Partners:
ARUP Pty Limited
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Plasma Leap Technologies Pty Ltd
Clarke Energy (Australia) Pty Ltd
IP2IPO Australia Pty Ltd
Fraunhofer IST (International)
Status:
Active
Start date:
March 2024
Completion date:
February 2029
Key contacts:
Scientia Professor Rose Amal- r.amal@unsw.edu.au
Chief Investigator: Dr Rahman Daiyan – r.daiyan@unsw.edu.au
Chief Investigator: Dr Emma Lovell – e.lovell@unsw.edu.au
Chief Investigator: Dr Zhipeng Ma – zhipeng.ma@unsw.edu.au
Funding:
AUD$1.87 million – Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
Project total cost:
AUD$7.18 million
Project summary description (as published by ARENA):
This project aims to facilitate decentralised on-demand production of renewable ammonia, which serves as an energy carrier in the emerging hydrogen economy, by scaling the OzAmmonia technology (developed at the University of New South Wales) to a commercially viable stage.
The Project will be delivered in two stages, a core research stage (Stage 1), followed by a research commercialisation stage (Stage 2).
- The core research stage will involve optimisation of various Advanced Air Oxidation systems to enhance nitrogen oxides (NOx) generation from air and reduce Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) of multiphase electrolyser, exploring cost reduction for both Air-to-Ammonia and Waste-to-Ammonia systems through ongoing process optimisation and integration of scaled-up electrolyser and prototype development.
- The research commercialisation stage will build upon the progress in the core research stage, including field testing and technology demonstration through validation of a prototype with publicly accessible performance trial result and optimisation of NOx input to electrolyser.
The Project will achieve the following outcomes:
- Accelerated commercialisation of renewable ammonia through innovative Research and Development in hydrogen vector production technologies;
- Increased academic research capacity in the Australian hydrogen and its derivatives sector, and the facilitation of collaboration between research groups and industry;
- Improvement in the technology readiness and commercial readiness of hydrogen vector production technologies;
- Improvement in the selectivity and conversion rate of NOx feedstock to increase system efficiency.
- Increased ammonia yield rate using the multiphase electrolyser by improving the Faradaic efficiency and current density of the catalysts;
- Decreased overall system production cost of ammonia, presenting a pathway for technology to be competitive as energy carrier and fertiliser.
Related publications and key links:
Multiphase electrolysers for renewable ammonia production – Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
OzAmmonia | Converting waste NOx to green ammonia
Higher degree studies supported:
Two PhD students will be supported through this grant.
Reviewed: July 2024