India's ammonia industry: balancing growth with sustainability

Abstract

India, due to its agriculture-intensive economy, is a large consumer of nitrogen fertilisers. India's domestic ammonia manufacturing capacity is about 19 MMT today. The expansion of India's economy and the growing per capita income are likely to increase the demand for food grains, which, in turn, will increase the demand for ammonia. This study explores the growth of Indian ammonia production capacity on a decadal time scale, 2030–2070. The scope 1 and 2 emission intensities of India's ammonia production are estimated using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. It is found that total emissions from ammonia manufacturing in India are likely to increase from 145 MMT in 2030 to about 540 MMT by 2070 without any abatement. Several technology interventions for emission reduction have been considered, and their impact on emission reduction has been estimated. These interventions are in situ carbon capture and utilization, alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), methane pyrolysis (MP), and energy decarbonisation. These interventions, when implemented, have the potential to significantly reduce emissions by 87% compared to the BAU scenario. The analysis points out the critical role of low-carbon intensity hydrogen, carbon capture technologies, and the availability of renewable energy. The analysis presented in this study provides valuable insights to both policymakers and industry stakeholders and develop a roadmap to mitigate the negative impacts of GHG emissions and promote the sustainable growth of the ammonia manufacturing industry in India.