Storage and Distribution of Low Carbon Ammonia as an Economical Hydrogen Carrier to Decarbonise the Cement Industry

英国的净零脱碳战略要求英国经济的所有部门到2050年实现净零目标。2018年，英国混凝土和水泥行业产生了730万吨二氧化碳排放量，目前约占英国二氧化碳排放量的1.5%[1]。该行业的燃料转换为低碳燃料可能会减少16%的排放量[1]。水泥行业在燃料转换为氢气方面取得了重大进展，先前的研究证明了技术可行性。然而，氢的储存和运输在技术上具有挑战性，而且氢燃料的成本令人望而却步。该项目将评估使用氨作为低成本、低碳的氢载体，评估最经济的方法，现场氨裂解制氢，用于水泥工业窑炉。创新之处在于使用氨作为氢载体，采用新型的氨局部自热裂解，用于水泥生产的氢燃料。这种技术和商业上的创新方法有可能使氢在分散的（不位于拟议的氢枢纽或工业集群内）地点的使用具有经济可行性。氨被选为氢载体是因为其高体积能量密度，比氢更容易和更便宜地储存和运输。氨的体积氢密度比液氢高45%。该项目还将调查英国现有氨供应链网络的各个层级，以确定氨作为氢载体的适当运输，卸载和储存，以满足水泥行业的需求。氨被迅速认为是全球能源市场最有前途的长期分子，但很少有可行性研究评估整个供应链的可行性。如果这在经济上可行，项目合作伙伴之一汉森水泥将采用该计划向其水泥窑供应氢气，帮助英国水泥行业脱碳，并加速英国其他行业采用氢气。[1]矿产品协会：英国混凝土和水泥行业超越净零的路线图。2020

The UK's net zero strategy for decarbonisation requires all sectors of the UK economy to meet the net zero target by 2050\. The UK concrete and cement industry produced 7.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2018 and currently accounts for around 1.5% of the UK's CO2 emissions \[1\].Fuel switching to low-carbon fuels in this sector could potentially reduce emissions by 16% \[1\]. The cement industry has made significant progress with fuel switching to hydrogen, with previous studies demonstrating technical feasibility. However, the storage and transportation of hydrogen is technically challenging, and hydrogen fuel costs are prohibitive.This project will assess the use of ammonia as a low-cost, low-carbon hydrogen carrier, evaluating the most economical method of on-site ammonia cracking to generate hydrogen for use in kilns in the cement industry.The innovation lies in using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier with novel local autothermal cracking of ammonia into a hydrogen fuel for use in cement manufacturing. This technically and commercially innovative approach has the potential to make hydrogen use on dispersed (not located within proposed hydrogen hubs or industrial clusters) sites economically viable.Ammonia has been selected as a hydrogen carrier due to its high volumetric energy density, making it easier and cheaper to store and transport than hydrogen. The volumetric hydrogen density of ammonia is 45% higher than that of liquid hydrogen.The project will also investigate the various tiers of the UK's existing ammonia supply chain network for the suitable transportation, offloading and storage of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier in meeting the cement industry's needs.Ammonia is rapidly being considered the most promising long-term molecule for global energy markets, but few feasibility studies have assessed whole supply chain viability. If this is economically feasible one of the project partners, Hanson Cement, will adopt the scheme to supply hydrogen to their cement kilns, helping decarbonise the UK cement industry and accelerating the adoption of hydrogen by other UK industries.\[1\] Mineral Products Association: UK Concrete and Cement Industry Roadmap to beyond Net Zero. 2020