PTQ Gas 2022 Issue

opments that produce ammonia from renewable energy, or methane reforming with CO 2 capture, (see Figure 3 ) ammonia can be burned directly as a carbon emissions-free energy source. With new technical advances, ammonia may become a key player in the H 2 revolution. Ammonia is more energy dense than H 2 . Data available from Black & Veatch men- tion that the volumetric H 2 density of liquid ammonia is about 45% higher than that of liquid H 2 , mean- ing that more H 2 can be stored in liquid ammonia compared to liquid H 2 with the same volume. 1 Too much data The gas industry generates mas- sive amounts of data, but with a perceived inability to extract max- imum value in an industry under significant pressure to be more effi - cient and sustainable. Gas process- ing facilities, such as LNG, generate epic amounts of data through a pro- liferation of instrumented automatic control systems and operational practices. Although the gas indus-

try’s future looks bright, we are under no illusion that it will remain that way for various unforeseen reasons. On the positive side, recent World Bank reports (such as The Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries, which examines a range of zero-car- bon bunker fuel options) show that green ammonia and green H 2 strike the most advantageous bal- ance of favourable features. This is due to their lifecycle GHG emis- sions, broader environmental fac- tors, scalability, economics, and technical and safety implications. Furthermore, the report finds that many countries, including devel- oping countries, are very well posi- tioned to become future suppliers of zero-carbon bunker fuels – namely ammonia and H 2 . References 1 P Molloy, C Jackson, A Leedom, Everything about Hydrogen Podcast: Building Hydrogen Infrastructure with Black & Veatch, IGEM: Institute of Gas Engineers & Managers, 2020.

fits of electrolysis of water under thermodynamic supercritical con- ditions: water at high temperature and pressure. Importantly, the bonds between the H 2 and oxy- gen atoms of water are weakened and, as such, require less electrical energy (i.e., lower cost) to split the bonds and free H 2 atoms. This is important because 70-80% of the levellised cost of generated H 2 is operating expenses, primar- ily driven by the cost of electricity. Operating at supercritical condi- tions, traditional electrolysers face the challenge of their membranes or diaphragms disintegrating. Their physical structure would also fail under these relatively high pres- sures and temperatures, resulting in failure of the electrolyser. Ammonia Widely used as an agricultural fertiliser, ammonia continues to expand its role in the green energy economy. It can be easily liquified for storage and worldwide ship- ment in the same infrastructure as LNG. Due to new technical devel-

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