Renewable Ammonia for Sustainable Agriculture and Energy: Process, Supply Chain, and Energy System Optimization

TOPIC:            Renewable Ammonia for Sustainable Agriculture and Energy: Process, Supply Chain, and Energy System Optimization

SPEAKER:      Dr. Matthew Palys, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota

DATE:              Tuesday, March 15th

TIME:               6:00 – Introduction

                             6:05 - Carrer Discussion

                             6:15 Technical Presentation

                             7:15 Q&A

COST:               Free, Registration Required          

LOCATION:    Online Zoom meeting

ABSTRACT:   Making ammonia with hydrogen sourced from renewable energy for use as fertilizer can improve agricultural sustainability. More broadly, renewable ammonia has potential to improve energy sustainability in its use as energy storage to balance intermittent renewable generation with demand. However, a number of challenges remain to its economically competitive deployment. In the presented work, mathematical optimization is used to address these challenges across multiple spatial and temporal scales. First, I'll introduce a novel adsorbent process for low pressure ammonia production and discuss its modeling and optimal design toward lowering capital intensity. Then, for sustainable agriculture, I'll discuss a vision for modular deployment of this new process in the context of the existing ammonia fertilizer supply chain. Finally, from a sustainable energy perspective, I'll introduce an approach for lowest-cost selection and sizing of hydrogen and/or ammonia energy storage technologies in the face of intermittent renewables. These hybrid storage systems are optimized for two use cases: (i) electrical energy storage throughout the continental U.S. and (ii)  combined heat and power in remote U.S. locations.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY:  Matt Palys is a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota. He received his B.E.Sc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario (Canada) in 2015 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2021. His research focuses on mathematical modeling and optimization to address design and operational aspects of chemical production from variable renewable energy as well as utilization of these chemicals to enable renewable electrification across multiple sectors. His paper "Using hydrogen and ammonia for renewable energy storage: A geographically comprehensive study" was the recipient of the Computers and Chemical Engineering best paper award in 2020.