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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteA 2026 process-modeling study reports that a low-pressure ammonia-separation design could cut synthesis-loop electricity consumption by more than 15% compared with a 120-bar reference loop. The modeled change replaces deep refrigeration with phosphoric-acid absorption and thermal regeneration. It is a modeled loop-level saving—not a measured reduction in electricity or energy use at a commercial plant, and not a whole-plant saving.
What the proposed process changes
In the reference configuration, the synthesis loop operates at 120 bar and uses deep refrigeration to condense ammonia. The alternative modeled by Mohammad Reza Malekli and Ali Khosravi separates ammonia by absorbing it into concentrated aqueous phosphoric acid at lower pressure, then recovering it through thermal regeneration.
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- Absorb ammonia: The model reports 99.9% ammonia removal at 60 bar and approximately 40 °C.
- Regenerate the acid: Heating the ammonia-rich solution to 170–215 °C recovers ammonia and allows the absorption step to continue.
- Integrate heat: The design uses process heat to supply much of the regeneration duty, avoiding the reference loop’s deep-refrigeration step.
The electricity reduction is therefore tied to the modeled synthesis-loop configuration and its separation method. It does not mean that ammonia production as a whole requires 15% less energy: hydrogen production and other plant loads are outside that percentage’s stated boundary.
What the study modeled—and what the numbers mean
The study assessed a power-to-ammonia system producing 70.57 tonnes of ammonia per day. Its pinch analysis estimates that internal waste heat could supply about 4 MW of the 4.1 MW regeneration heat duty. The model also estimates that 7.3 MW of electrolyzer waste heat could remain available for potential district-heating export. These are design-analysis estimates, not measurements from an operating facility.
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The study, “Decentralized low-pressure NH3 production and separation via aqueous H3PO4 chemical absorption: process modeling with thermal integration into district heating network,” by Malekli and Khosravi, appeared in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy in 2026. The University of Southern Denmark research record was published on 14 April 2026. The evidence described there is process modeling; it does not establish commercial deployment of this exact configuration.
Why energy figures from other ammonia studies do not directly compare
Ammonia energy figures can refer to different boundaries: a synthesis loop, conventional production, or an entire system that includes hydrogen production. They can also measure electricity alone or combined energy. The following figures offer context, but they are not interchangeable with the modeled loop-electricity comparison above.
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| Source and scope | Reported figure | Boundary to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Society of Chemistry review, 2020: conventional ammonia production using current best-available technology | 27.4–31.8 GJ per tonne of NH3 | Production energy requirement; not the 2026 study’s synthesis-loop electricity metric. |
| Royal Society of Chemistry review, 2020: potential improvement for electrically driven Haber–Bosch | 4.2 GJ per tonne of NH3 | A separate pathway and estimate, not a result of phosphoric-acid separation. |
| Elsevier review, October 2024: contemporary ammonia processes | 28–30 MJ per kg of ammonia | Process-energy requirement; its boundary differs from loop-only electricity. |
| Elsevier study, 2026: modeled offshore SOEC–Haber–Bosch system | 8.14 kWh per kg of NH3 overall | Includes electrolysis and other plant loads, rather than only synthesis-loop electricity. |
What remains difficult beyond the separation step
Reducing refrigeration and compression burdens in a modeled loop does not by itself resolve the challenges of operating an electrified ammonia plant. The European Commission Joint Research Centre’s 2026 report identifies the mismatch between variable renewable electricity and the continuous operation of the Haber–Bosch synthesis loop as a major barrier. It also notes that first-of-a-kind plants are operational and describes forecasting, optimization, and control among the solutions being used to address integration.
Plant scale matters too. A 2024 review reports that smaller ammonia plants can use more energy per unit of product and have higher unit investment costs than large facilities. The modeled production rate and heat integration in the phosphoric-acid study are therefore important context: a decentralized configuration should not be assumed to be more efficient simply because it is smaller.
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How to judge the result
- Separate loop savings from plant-wide performance. The reported percentage applies to synthesis-loop electricity, not the complete power-to-ammonia plant.
- Check the comparison basis. The reference is a 120-bar loop with deep refrigeration; the proposed separation operates at lower pressure and uses phosphoric acid.
- Account for heat as well as electricity. Absorption avoids deep refrigeration but needs regeneration heat. The modeled internal heat supply is central to the reported design.
- Distinguish modeled performance from operating evidence. The cited study establishes a process-modeling result, not a verified commercial-plant outcome.
- Compare like with like. Loop electricity, total process energy, and whole-plant electricity answer different questions; figures from different boundaries should not be combined into a single savings claim.
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