--- title: From megawatts to methane – a sustainable solutions for ammonia plants date: 2024-08-20T11:06:00+01:00 author: Ellie Wilson canonical_url: "https://kentplc.com/news-insights/from-megawatts-to-methane-a-sustainable-solutions-for-ammonia-plants" section: Blog --- 20 Aug 2024 Insights & Opinions, Energy Transition # From megawatts to methane – a sustainable solutions for ammonia plants ![TL Jacob de Boer 2 Web Banner]() Synthetic ammonia production sustains food production for more than half of the world’s population. With the global agricultural land shrinking and many regions suffering from nutrient-depleted soils, maintaining a sufficient and cost-effective supply of nitrogen-based fertiliser is critical to feeding the growing population. Many regional ammonia plants around the world convert natural gas to ammonia for fertiliser, releasing nearly two tonnes of CO2 per tonne of ammonia produced. Conveniently, these plants produce a substantial concentrated CO2 stream. Considering that ammonia plants are high-capex and long-life operating assets, that can run for more than 40 years, replacing them in the face of the energy transition can be very expensive, significantly impacting food production costs. As green energy supply is highly variable, it leads to the need for additional supply side assets, that in mostly are weather dependent. For instance, solar energy averages around 20% efficiency, requiring either five times the investment in capacity or the addition of high-cost batteries to deliver a reliable energy supply. Operating plants with only 20% effective energy supply is not economic. But, what if there was a way to extend the useful life of ammonia plants while reducing CO2 emissions? By re-using much of the existing plants infrastructure and integrating green energy sources with minimal disruption, we could reduce CO2 emissions by 30-40%, ensure food stability and use scarce capital wisely. There are several potential solutions to do this such as adding and integrating green power and/or biogas into the ammonia plant. **Adding Green Hydrogen Directly to the Syngas Loop** This is the simplest method, converting green power (when cost-effective) to hydrogen to offset natural gas usage. However, there's a limit to the amount of hydrogen (around 10%) that can be added without disrupting the plant's heat and mass balances, considering that compression steam and nitrogen are added in the upstream secondary reformer. **Re-Using the Available ‘Captured’ CO2 Stream** Methanation of CO2, demonstrated in several projects, supports developing a transition pathway for existing gas-based plants, extending their operational life and flexibility to operate with varying degrees of green energy supply. This process produces Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG), which is of higher purity than typical natural gas (sulfur-free and low inerts). By using captured CO2 and (excess) green hydrogen to produce methane, we can reduce the natural gas usage and thus net emissions. For example, with 50MW SNG modular units, can each offset around 45 tonnes per day of natural gas. This flexible approach allows generating a drop-in product using surplus green energy, which can revert to full natural gas operation during green energy supply variance. **The Potential of Biogas for Ammonia Plants Near Large Cities** While generally attractive, biogas alone is insufficient to supply a full ammonia plant. Typically, biogas comprises mainly bio-methane and bio-CO2, which can be integrated with SNG to create a locally sourced energy supply, reducing dependence on often long-distance piped natural gas. Moreover, this approach can also be applied beneficially with methanol and other Power-to-X opportunities. There are multiple pathways to making ammonia plants more sustainable, and the optimal solution may vary depending on the specific conditions of each plant. These strategies offer significant potential to reduce emissions and extend the operational life of existing assets. However, navigating these complex options requires expertise and innovative approaches. Partnering with a knowledgeable and experienced team can ensure that these solutions are effectively implemented, optimising the performance of ammonia plants and achieving better environmental and economic outcomes. With the right guidance, the transition towards a greener and more sustainable ammonia production is not only feasible but also beneficial for the sectors connected to these plants. Kent has extensive experience with small to large-scale green hydrogen, ammonia, and other syngas projects. We offer innovative solutions backed by practical experience across various plants worldwide to support our clients. *This article was originally published in Gastech Preview 2024. View here: * Share this story [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkentplc.com%2Fnews-insights%2Ffrom-megawatts-to-methane-a-sustainable-solutions-for-ammonia-plants) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://kentplc.com/news-insights/from-megawatts-to-methane-a-sustainable-solutions-for-ammonia-plants) [X](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https://kentplc.com/news-insights/from-megawatts-to-methane-a-sustainable-solutions-for-ammonia-plants&text=From%20megawatts%20to%20methane%20%E2%80%93%20a%20sustainable%20solutions%20for%20ammonia%20plants) Related Blogs ## You might also like [![TL Dave Blackburn Strategies Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/where-late-life-strategies-break-down)Insights & Opinions [Where late life strategies break down ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/where-late-life-strategies-break-down)Kent's SVP Global Late Life Assets & Decommissioning, Dave Blackburn, explores why the transition to decommissioning should begin while assets are still operating [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/where-late-life-strategies-break-down) [![TL Ian Long Thumbnail 1]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/as-oil-and-gas-developments-become-more-complex-why-early-technology-selection-matters)Insights & Opinions [As oil and gas developments become more complex, why early technology selection matters ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/as-oil-and-gas-developments-become-more-complex-why-early-technology-selection-matters)Kent's Study Manager – APAC, Ian Long, explores why early technology selection matters as oil and gas developments become more complex [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/as-oil-and-gas-developments-become-more-complex-why-early-technology-selection-matters) [![TL Ferruh E web thumb]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/why-the-data-centre-conversation-now-starts-with-substations)Insights & Opinions [Why the data centre conversation now starts with substations ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/why-the-data-centre-conversation-now-starts-with-substations)Kent Data Centres new VP of Design & Engineering, Ferruh Ertekin, details the increasing importance of substation design for future infrastructure expansion [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/why-the-data-centre-conversation-now-starts-with-substations) [![TL Carl Titchmarsh QGC Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-best-mtac-partners-never-stop-earning-their-place)Insights & Opinions [The best MTAC partners never stop earning their place ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-best-mtac-partners-never-stop-earning-their-place)Kent’s SVP Operations – APAC, Carl Titchmarsh, explores why the best MTAC partnerships are built on continuous improvement, not longevity [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-best-mtac-partners-never-stop-earning-their-place) [![Thumbnail AUS 2026 Ad 63 C Brand]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/what-were-learning-about-ccus-technology-as-the-industry-matures)Insights & Opinions [What We’re Learning About CCUS Technology as the Industry Matures ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/what-were-learning-about-ccus-technology-as-the-industry-matures)Kent’s Principal Process Engineer Chris Long details the innovations across Carbon Capture projects in the evolving market [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/what-were-learning-about-ccus-technology-as-the-industry-matures) [![Thumbnail 31]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-gccs-ai-race-will-be-won-on-infrastructure)Insights & Opinions [The GCC’s AI race will be won on infrastructure ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-gccs-ai-race-will-be-won-on-infrastructure)Kent Data Centres' Yousef Maayah details how evolving technology has led to an infrastructure challenge in the GCC, ones best suited for designers [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/the-gccs-ai-race-will-be-won-on-infrastructure) [![Yousef Maayah TL thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/gccs-next-data-challenge-is-water)Insights & Opinions [The GCC's next data challenge is water ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/gccs-next-data-challenge-is-water)Kent Data Centres' Yousef Maayah discusses balancing increasing cooling requirements with resilient and sustainable design [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/gccs-next-data-challenge-is-water) [![TL Clinton Smith Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/how-far-should-a-hazop-really-go)Insights & Opinions [How Far Should a HAZOP Really Go? ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/how-far-should-a-hazop-really-go)Kent's Clinton Smith details his experience of ensuring HAZOP studies cover meaningful methodology [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/how-far-should-a-hazop-really-go) [![TL Prabhash Tiwari Thumbnail]()](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/indias-data-centres-net-zero)Insights & Opinions [How can India's Data Centres Actually Achieve Net Zero? ](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/indias-data-centres-net-zero)Kent Data Centres Director of Engineering in India, Prabhash Tiwari, discusses sustainability requirements around data centre design in the region [Read article](https://kentplc.com/news-insights/indias-data-centres-net-zero) [](#)[](#)