[EN]Energy storage will be necessary for a future power system with high penetration of
renewable sources, mainly, wind and solar, to ensure the stability of the grid. In this
context, power-to-chemicals is a promising concept for a medium/long-term storage
horizon and a wide range of capacities. Within this alternative, ammonia rises as one of
the fuels with the highest potential in a scenario targeting decarbonization. The first step
is the production of ammonia using renewable energy sources, followed by its transfor mation into energy. This second area requires a deeper analysis at process scale in order
to introduce this technology into the future power system. In this work, an assessment
of an ammonia-based power plant is presented, focusing on the thermo-chemical route.
A combined cycle is evaluated, considering different gas clean-up technologies to re cover valuable components and comply with environmental restrictions. As a result,
the total efficiency of the power facility reaches about 40%, limited by the maximum
temperature allowed in the gas turbine. The influence of the price of ammonia is also
evaluated due to the paramount importance of this parameter. The production cost
ranges from 0.2 to 0.6 €/kWh, with the lowest level corresponding to a scenario in which
there is a significant reduction in the cost of renewable power generation and electrol ysis technology. Therefore, the feasibility of the use of ammonia as an energy storage
alternative is demonstrated, providing a powerful platform for the implementation of a
power grid with high penetration of fluctuating sources.
