Energy Efficient Transshipment of Ammonia: A Numerical Study of Various Terminal Concepts

Abstract

For the global transport and trade of hydrogen, ship transport is of central importance. Ammonia is a promising option for this task. In the ammonia molecule, hydrogen is stored through chemical bonding to nitrogen. In comparison to liquid hydrogen, liquid ammonia shows a higher volumetric energy density and shows advantages in terms of handling. To establish ammonia as a global climate‐neutral energy carrier, the production of green ammonia as well as an efficient supply chain plays important factors. Terminals are an essential part of the process chain as they enable the transshipment from ship to land and vice versa. In this study, the efficiency of various ammonia terminal concepts dealing with both pressure‐liquefied and cold‐liquefied green ammonia is targeted. Multiple terminal concepts are analyzed by thermodynamic investigation as well as numerical simulation. The concepts are compared by system behavior as well as electricity and heat demand under typical bunkering scenarios. The analysis of the concepts produces general design criteria for an efficient terminal design. It is shown that an export terminal is most efficient with a multistage expansion. Furthermore, the integration of the pressure tank as a condenser proves to be particularly suitable for an import terminal.