Current ammonia production technologies have a significant carbon footprint. In this study, we present a process synthesis and global optimization framework to discover the efficient utilization of renewable resources in ammonia production. Competing technologies are incorporated in a process superstructure where biomass, wind, and solar routes are compared with the natural gas‐based reference case. A deterministic global optimization‐based branch‐and‐bound algorithm is used to solve the resulting large‐scale nonconvex mixed‐integer nonlinear programming problem (MINLP). Case studies for Texas, California, and Iowa are conducted to examine the effects of different feedstock prices and availabilities. Results indicate that profitability of ammonia production is highly sensitive to feedstock and electricity prices, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) restrictions. Under strict 75% GHG reductions, biomass to ammonia route is found to be competitive with natural gas route, whereas wind and solar to ammonia routes require further improvement to compete with those two routes. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: e16498 2019

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Successful integration of intermittent renewable resources into the energy mix is instrumental to meet the growing global energy demand while reducing the carbon emissions. With this study, we propose a strategy of mixed-integer linear programming-based simultaneous design and operation to explore the techno-economic feasibility of novel energy system networks including solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, battery storage, and dense energy carriers. A multiscale energy system engineering approach is followed combining process synthesis, scheduling, and supply chain concepts to address the trade-offs between various technologies in renewable power generation and storage, as well as energy carrier production and transportation across different locations. We apply our strategy to analyze the integration of hydrogen-based dense energy carriers (DECs) produced in a high-potential region of renewable energy in Texas in tandem with local solar production and battery storage in a low-potential region in New York to minimize the levelized cost of renewable electricity. Case study results show that DECs can offer 30–50% cost reductions to local power generation and battery systems when used as clean backup fuels.

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