Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Evaluation of Low Carbon Ammonia Co-Firing Implementation in Coal-Fired Power Plants
Keywords:
ammonia, carbon footprint, coal-fired power plant, co-firing, economic analysis, greenhouse gas emissionsAbstract
This study assesses the techno-economic feasibility and environmental impact of ammonia co-firing in coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) in Indonesia. Using Aspen Plus simulation on a 660 MWe subcritical boiler, various blending ratios of low carbon ammonia (0–50%) were evaluated. The results show that increasing the ammonia co-firing ratio reduces direct CO₂ emission intensity from 0.90 to approximately 0.45 ton CO₂/MWh. Emissions of SOx and NOx also decrease due to reduced coal consumption and the reaction of unburned ammonia with NO through a selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) mechanism. The Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCoE) increases with higher ammonia content. At a 50% ratio, LCoE reaches 146 USD/MWh (grey), 156 USD/MWh (blue), and 252 USD/MWh (green), compared to a baseline of 49 USD/MWh. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) shows that grey ammonia increases Global Warming Potential (GWP) by 4.83%. while green ammonia reduces GWP by 49.9% compared to 100% coal combustion. Emissions also vary by delivery distance; supply from Gresik results in 0.17% lower emissions than from Bontang. Ammonia co-firing offers a viable low-carbon transition strategy for Indonesia’s coal-dominated power sector, particularly with blue or green ammonia. Its success depends on fuel selection, supply chain efficiency, and comprehensive life cycle-based policy support.
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