Techno-economic assessment of plasma-driven air oxidation coupled with electroreduction synthesis of ammonia

作者：Lei Xiao, Shiyong Mou, Xiaoyu Lin, Keying Wu, Siyuan Liu, Weidong Dai, Weiping Yang, Chiyao Tang, Chang Long, Fan Dong · 发表于：Green Energy & Environment · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.gee.2025.03.009 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction、Catalytic Processes in Materials Science、Plasma Applications and Diagnostics

Recently, the plasma-driven air oxidation coupled with electrocatalytic NO x reduction reaction (pAO-eNO x RR) technology for sustained NH 3 synthesis displays the promise in tackling the high energy-consumption and carbon-emission associated with the Haber-Bosch process. Here, a technical and economic assessment of pAO-eNO x RR technology is comprehensively undertaken to determine its feasibility as a potential substitute for the Haber-Bosch process. The technical assessment suggests that, in terms of both environmental impact and energy efficiency, N 2 -NO-NH 3 and N 2 -NO 2 − -NH 3 are presently the most effective pathways. The deep analysis of the current state-of-the-art technological performance indicates that the pAO-eNO x RR technology is competitive with commercial processes in achieving large-scale NH 3 synthesis. However, lower energy efficiency of pAO-eNO x RR technology leads to high electricity costs that surpass the current market price of NH 3 . Subsequently, we conducted a comprehensive analysis which reveals that, for the economic viability of NH 3 synthesis, an energy efficiency in the range of 33.8–38.6% must be attained. The expenses associated with plasma equipment, electrolyzer, catalysts, and NH 3 distillation also contribute significantly to the economic burden. The further development of pAO-eNO x RR technology should be centered around advancements in plasma catalysts, electrocatalysts, reactors, as well as the exploration for energy-efficient catho...