Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa
Woods, J. A. 2025. Optimal Sizing and Renewable Integration for Green Ammonia Plants in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/5f6b5352-062c-48b7-907f-d4abc1f0d79f
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613899343265792 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Woods, Joshua Anderton |
| author2 | Rix, A. J. |
| author_browse | Rix, A. J. Woods, Joshua Anderton |
| author_facet | Rix, A. J. Woods, Joshua Anderton |
| author_sort | Woods, Joshua Anderton |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Woods, J. A. 2025. Optimal Sizing and Renewable Integration for Green Ammonia Plants in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/5f6b5352-062c-48b7-907f-d4abc1f0d79f |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132309 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:28.625Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132309 Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa Woods, Joshua Anderton Rix, A. J. Van Staden, C. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Ammonia -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Green technology -- Technological innovations -- South Africa Renewable energy sources -- South Africa Genetic algorithms -- Data processing -- South Africa UCTD Woods, J. A. 2025. Optimal Sizing and Renewable Integration for Green Ammonia Plants in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/5f6b5352-062c-48b7-907f-d4abc1f0d79f Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Countries worldwide are shifting focus towards sustainable and renewable processes in all sectors, in a collective effort to reduce carbon emissions. Current ammonia production consumes 2% of global energy and contributes 1.3% of global carbon emissions. Green ammonia production is a sustainable contribution to reducing global carbon emissions. Currently, there is little publically known research on green ammonia plants in South Africa, this research aims to address this gap by optimally placing and sizing a green ammonia plant. This thesis investigates the optimal sizing of a fully off-grid green ammonia plant in South Africa. The research focuses on the technical and economic factors affecting green ammonia production, specifically minimising the Levelised Cost of Ammonia (LCOA) and maximising plant Capacity Factor (CF). A Genetic Algorithm (GA) was employed to accomplish the multi-objective optimisation. The GA optimised various plant configurations, comprising solar, wind, battery, hydrogen and nitrogen storage. Additionally, 15 sites across South Africa were selected and simulated over a year. The results indicate that the intensity of the renewable energy resource plays a significant role in the plant’s performance. These locations produced low LCOA and high plant CFs. Site 9, near Noupoort in the Karoo, produced a LCOA of 675.3USD/ton and plant CF of 89.71%. This is below the global average for green ammonia production costs. However, this is still significantly higher than traditional production methods. Configurations containing a combination of wind and solar systems performed best; the complementary nature allowed production to continue at night if sufficient wind was available. Hydrogen and nitrogen storage proved beneficial; however, the improvement when adding nitrogen storage was not as substantial as when adding hydrogen storage. A sensitivity analysis revealed that future reductions in the capacity cost of electrolysers and solar and wind energy systems could make green ammonia economically viable in the near future. The study also revealed that the electrolyser, renewable energy system, and battery play a significant role in the plant’s performance overall. Additionally, chemical storage is highly beneficial in flexible plants. This research contributes to the ever expanding literature on green ammonia systems, particularly in the context of South Africa and the country’s renewable energy transition. It provides insight into optimally sizing and placing a green ammonia production facility in South Africa and determining what components affect the plant’s economic and technical performance. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Lande wêreldwyd verskuif hul fokus na volhoubare en hernubare prosesse in alle sektore, in ’n gesamentlike poging om koolstofvrystellings te verminder. Die huidige ammoniakproduksieprosesse is aansienlike energieverbruikers en dra by tot 2% van wêreldwye energieverbruik en 1.3% van globale koolstofvrystellings. Groen ammoniakproduksie is ’n volhoubare bydrae tot die vermindering van globale koolstofvrystellings. Tans is daar min openbare navorsing bekend oor groen ammoniakaanlegte in Suid-Afrika, en hierdie navorsing het ten doel om hierdie leemte aan te spreek deur ’n groen ammoniakaanleg optimaal te plaas en te grootte. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die optimale grootskaalse ontwerp van ’n volledig afrooster groen ammoniakaanleg in Suid-Afrika. Die navorsing fokus op die tegniese en ekonomiese faktore wat groen ammoniakproduksie beïnvloed, spesifiek die vermindering van die Gelykgestelde Koste van Ammoniak (GKA) en die maksimering van die aanleg se Kapasiteitsfaktor (KF). Om die veeldoelige optimering te bereik, is ’n Genetiese Algoritme (GA) gebruik. Die GA is gebruik om verskeie aanlegkonfigurasies te optimaliseer, wat bestaan uit sonkrag, wind, batteryberging, waterstof en stikstofberging. Boonop is 15 terreine regoor Suid-Afrika gekies en oor die loop van ’n jaar gesimuleer. Die resultate toon dat die intensiteit van die hernubare energiebron ’n beduidende rol speel in die aanleg se prestasie. Hierdie terreine het lae GKA en hoë aanleg-KF opgelewer. Terrein 9, naby Noupoort in die Karoo, het ’n GKA van 675.3 USD/ton en ’n aanleg-KF van 89.71% opgelewer. Dit is laer as die wêreldgemiddelde vir groen ammoniakproduksiekoste, maar steeds aansienlik hoër as tradisionele produksiemetodes. Konfigurasies wat ’n kombinasie van wind- en sonkragstelsels insluit, het die beste gevaar; die komplementêre aard het produksie toegelaat om in die nag voort te gaan indien daar genoeg wind beskikbaar was. Die gebruik van waterstof- en stikstofberging was nuttig, maar die verbetering wat stikstofberging gebring het, was nie so groot soos met waterstofberging nie. ’n Sensitiwiteitsanalise het getoon dat toekomstige verlaging in die koste van elektroliete, sowel as son- en windenergiekapitaal, groen ammoniak in die nabye toekoms ekonomies lewensvatbaar kan maak. Die analise het ook getoon dat die elektroliet, hernubare energiestelsel en battery ’n groot rol speel in die algehele prestasie van die aanleg. Chemiese berging is boonop baie voordelig in buigsame aanlegte. Hierdie navorsing dra by tot die groeiende literatuur oor groen ammoniakstelsels, veral in die konteks van Suid-Afrika en die land se hernubare energieoorgang. Dit bied belangrike insigte oor die optimale grootte en plasing van ’n groen ammoniakproduksie-aanleg in Suid-Afrika en bepaal watter komponente die aanleg se ekonomiese en tegniese prestasie beïnvloed. Masters 2025-06-03T09:40:32Z 2025-06-03T09:40:32Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132309 en Stellenbosch University xviii, 141 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Ammonia -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Green technology -- Technological innovations -- South Africa Renewable energy sources -- South Africa Genetic algorithms -- Data processing -- South Africa UCTD Woods, Joshua Anderton Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa |
| title | Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa |
| title_full | Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa |
| title_short | Optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in South Africa |
| title_sort | optimal sizing and renewable integration for green ammonia plants in south africa |
| topic | Ammonia -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Green technology -- Technological innovations -- South Africa Renewable energy sources -- South Africa Genetic algorithms -- Data processing -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132309 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT woodsjoshuaanderton optimalsizingandrenewableintegrationforgreenammoniaplantsinsouthafrica |