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IHS CHEMICAL
Ammonia Production by Haldor
Topsøe Advanced Process
Process Economics Program Review 2017-02
March 2017
ihs.com
PEP Review 2017-02
Ammonia Production by Haldor
Topsøe Advanced Process
Narendra Kumar Agnihotra
Principal Analyst
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IHS Chemical | PEP Review 2017-02 Ammonia Production by Haldor Topsøe Advanced Process
PEP Review 2017-02
Ammonia Production by Haldor Topsøe Advanced Process
Narendra Kumar Agnihotra, Principal Analyst
Abstract
Ammonia is one of the most important chemicals used for the production of a variety of industrial products.
It is used extensively for manufacturing fertilizers, drugs, vitamins, explosive, cosmetics, plastic materials,
fibers, etc. Ammonia is also a very good refrigerant, and is used for food preservation and beverage
production as well as cold storage facilities. In spite of its numerous uses, the major consumer of ammonia
is urea, a nitrogenous fertilizer. More than 80 percent of the ammonia is used for making urea worldwide.
Increasing ammonia demand by the nitrogenous fertilizers industry is projected to drive the global ammonia
market over the next decade.
Ammonia is synthesized by using nitrogen and hydrogen gases. For this purpose, the nitrogen is obtained
through the air, while the hydrogen is produced (as a constituent of syngas) mainly by steam-methane
autothermal reforming or by partial oxidation processes from natural gas or coal. Natural gas is the primary
feedstock for ammonia and syngas production in most of the regions of the world. In China, coal is gasified
with oxygen and steam to produce the syngas, which serves as the source for hydrogen production.
Although the technology for ammonia production is quite developed, energy efficiency and lower
production cost are still major challenges facing the industries.
Several research papers, scientific reviews, technical reports, and patents have been published by
academicians, industry researchers, and technology licensors for the ammonia production process. The IHS
Chemical Process Economics Program (PEP) has published the technoeconomic analyses of different
ammonia technologies periodically and has reported the results in numerous reports—namely, PEP Review
2016-14, Ammonia Production by Haldor Topsøe Conventional Technology (December 2016), PEP Report
44B, Advances in Ammonia Technology (November 2009), PEP Report 44A, Ammonia (July 1980), and
PEP Report 44, Ammonia (November 1968).
The present review is the latest PEP publication on the subject of ammonia production. This review focuses
on the technoeconomic assessment of the ammonia production process, depicting the most advanced and
the latest schematic representation of the Haldor Topsøe process for ammonia production. An interactive
iPEP Navigator costing module is also presented with the electronic version of this review, which provides
a snapshot of the economics of other ammonia processes; the module also allows the user to select the
process, units, and region of interest according to individual costing needs.
This review will be of particular interest to those looking for information on ammonia technologies and
their respective economics. The readers can be associated with syngas and ammonia production.
© 2017 IHS
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March 2017
IHS Chemical | PEP Review 2017-02 Ammonia Production by Haldor Topsøe Advanced Process
Contents
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Introduction
Summary
Technical aspect—Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia process
Feedstock
Process for synthesis of ammonia
Process economics
Conclusion
3
Industry status
Major producers of ammonia
4
Technology review of ammonia production from natural gas
Process chemistry and generic process steps
Feedstock
Desulfurization
Prereforming
Autothermal reforming
Water-gas shift (WGS) reaction
Carbon dioxide removal
Nitrogen wash unit
Compression
Ammonia synthesis loop
Catalyst system
Ammonia reactors
Two-catalyst-bed ammonia converter
Three-catalyst-bed ammonia converter
5
Process description
Ammonia refrigeration, steam, and cooling water systems
Process discussion
6
Cost estimates
Fixed capital cost
Production costs
Appendix A—Cited references
Appendix B—Process flow diagrams
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Tables
Table 1 Physical properties of ammonia
Table 2 Production costs of Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia production process using natural
gas
Table 3 World capacity for ammonia (thousands of metric tons of nitrogen)
Table 4 Current status of ammonia plants by Haldor Topsøe
Table 5 Production of ammonia by Haldor Topsøe advanced process—Design assumptions
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IHS Chemical | PEP Review 2017-02 Ammonia Production by Haldor Topsøe Advanced Process
Table 6 Production of ammonia by Haldor Topsøe advanced process—Design bases
Table 7 Ammonia production process from natural gas by Haldor Topsøe—Stream flows (lb/hr)
Table 8 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia production process from natural gas—Major
equipment
Table 9 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia production process from natural gas—Utilities
summary
Table 10 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia production process from natural gas—Total capital
investment
Table 11 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia production process from natural gas—Production
costs
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Figures
Figure 1 Block flow diagram of Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia process
Figure 2 Ammonia production capacity—World geographical distribution
Figure 3 Ammonia supply and demand—World
Figure 4 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia production process
Figure 5 Schematic diagram of autothermal reformer
Figure 6 Schematic diagram of nitrogen washing unit
Figure 7 Haldor Topsøe ammonia synthesis loop
Figure 8 Haldor Topsøe ammonia reactor (S-300)—Embodiment of fixed three catalyst beds
Figure 9 Haldor Topsøe two-catalyst-bed ammonia reactor
Figure 10 Haldor Topsøe three catalyst beds ammonia reactor
Figure 11 Haldor Topsøe advanced process for ammonia production from natural gas—Product
value of NH3 as a function of operating level and plant capacity
Figure 12 Haldor Topsøe advanced process for ammonia production from natural gas—Net
production cost of NH3 product as a function of operating level and plant capacity
Figure 13 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia synthesis process (PFD 1)
Figure 14 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia synthesis process (PFD 2)
Figure 15 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia synthesis process (PFD 3)
Figure 16 Haldor Topsøe advanced ammonia synthesis process (PFD 4)
Figure 17 Ammonia process steam diagram
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