Green ammonia - a solution for the future
Ammonia has played an important role in society, but recently the production process, which involves a large amount of fossil fuels, has been criticised. Instead, the possibility of producing green ammonia, a climate-friendly substance free of carbon dioxide, is being explored. At Lyma, we take a closer look at the process and explain how our products can support this development.
Ammonia is a chemical compound of hydrogen and nitrogen that has long been an important resource in our society. As well as being used in the manufacture of window cleaner, hairspray and various cleaning products, it is also an important ingredient in fertilisers.
Ammonia in artificial fertilisers
Fertilisers were already established among the world's farmers in the 19th century, but it wasn't until after the Second World War that the big breakthrough came. The advent of fertilisers changed the entire structure of agriculture, allowing farmers not only to achieve higher yields but also to run completely animal-free farms. With the help of fertilisers, farmers could grow as much as they wanted without worrying about animal waste.
Energy-intensive manufacturing
Today, artificial fertilisers are a natural part of farming and in Sweden, crop production from Skåne to Mälardalen is entirely dominated by animal-free farms. However, fertilisers do not only have positive aspects. In recent years, the climate impact of fertilisers has been studied in more detail and several worrying factors have been discovered.
It is the manufacturing process, among other things, that has raised eyebrows among critics. Fertilisers are largely made from ammonia, where the nitrogen is taken from the air but the hydrogen is made from fossil natural gas or coal. In total, the production of ammonia accounts for about one per cent of the world's carbon emissions - a figure that needs to be reduced.
Green ammonia
To find a more climate-smart solution to the problem, the company is now looking into fossil-free production of ammonia. The Norwegian company Yara, one of the world's largest ammonia producers, recently launched a project to make production in one of its factories completely fossil-free.
The aim is to produce so-called green ammonia using renewable energy sources while capturing the carbon dioxide released during production. If successful, it would reduce the factory's carbon dioxide emissions by 800 000 tonnes each year and reduce the climate footprint of the fertiliser by 80-90%.
Fuel in maritime transport
It is not only in the production of fertilisers that green ammonia is thought to play a significant role. In shipping, there are plans to use green ammonia as a fuel to reduce carbon emissions. Today, international shipping accounts for over two per cent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, so a successful deployment of green ammonia as a fuel would be a major positive change. However, the method is at an early stage and research and testing is needed before it can be launched.
Ammonia as energy storage
Ammonia is also thought to be a good way to store energy in the form of hydrogen. In the past, hydrogen-fuelled fuel cells have been difficult and expensive to transport, but transporting them as ammonia and then disassembling them on site to create hydrogen makes handling easier. There are also several other advantages to storing and transporting ammonia instead of hydrogen. For example, ammonia has a higher energy content per litre, it is easier to cool down to liquid form and there is already a developed infrastructure.
Extensive experience with ammonia
At Lyma, we have over 40 years of experience with corrosive liquids and have come into contact with ammonia on many occasions during our long career. We have extensive expertise in the medium and know how to handle it. As well as telling you how it behaves and acts, we can also advise you on which applications and materials should be used. When it comes to pumping ammonia magnetic drive pumps or canned motor pumps preferable because they are seal-less pumps that prevent the risk of leakage.
In addition to pumps, our product catalogue also includes tanks, pipes, valves and gaskets. As the only complete supplier in Scandinavia, we can provide you with everything you need to operate efficient and safe flows.