DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/jcerp.20603

Optimization of Operating Conditions for Enhanced Efficiency in Green Ammonia Production toward Sustainable Fertilizer Applications

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Jl. Prof. Soedarto, SH, Tembalang, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia

Received: 12 Dec 2025; Revised: 19 Dec 2025; Accepted: 22 Dec 2025; Available online: 6 Jan 2026; Published: 30 Jun 2026.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Fulltext View|Download

Citation Format:
Cover Image
Abstract

This study investigates the enhancement of reaction efficiency in green ammonia production through the optimization of operating conditions using Aspen HYSYS simulation. Conventional ammonia synthesis is limited by its high energy demand, driven largely by extreme operating pressures and temperatures as well as the substantial load on compressors. To address these constraints, the process was modified by lowering the operating temperature in the main heating unit (Q‑101) and adjusting compressor pressure and recycle streams, thereby shifting the reaction equilibrium toward product formation while reducing overall energy requirements. Simulation results reveal that decreasing the temperature from 482.5 °C to 368.9 °C significantly increased the molar flow rates of nitrogen, hydrogen, and particularly ammonia, which reached 185.5 kmol/h. This outcome confirms that lower temperatures in an exothermic reaction enhance conversion in accordance with Le Chatelier’s principle. Furthermore, reducing the heat generated during compression lessens the demand on intercoolers and cooling units, improving overall thermal efficiency. The integration of multistage compressors and the recovery of waste heat provide additional gains in energy efficiency. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that relatively simple adjustments to operating parameters can substantially increase ammonia yield, lower energy consumption, and contribute meaningfully to process sustainability, reinforcing the potential of green ammonia as a more efficient and environmentally responsible pathway for low‑carbon fertilizer production. Copyright © 2026 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Supporting Information (SI) PDF
Keywords: Green ammonia; process design; efficiency energy; operating condition optimization

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Original Research Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
Recovery and Utilization of Waste Heat from Cooler Effluent for Preheating Applications Improved Conversion Performance in Methyl Chloride Production from Methanol and Hydrogen Chloride Through Heat Exchanger Based Waste Heat Recovery and Process Modification Improving Product Purity of Ethylene Glycol Production from Ethylene Oxide by Modify Process Using Multi-stage Distillation More recent articles
  1. Roney, N., Llados, F., Little, S.S., Knaebel, D.B. (2004). Toxicological Profile for Ammonia. In N. Roney, F. Llados, S. S. Little, & D. B. Knaebel (Eds.), Federal Register (Issue September). U.S. Departement of Health and Human Service Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp126.pdf
  2. Kartika, D., Wahyuningsih, P. (2019). Analisis Kandungan Amoniak dalam Limbah Outlet KPPL PT. Pupuk Iskandar Muda (PT. PIM) Lhokseumawe. Jurnal Kimia Sains dan Terapan, 1(2), 6-10. https://ejurnalunsam.id/index.php/JQ/article/view/1692/1266
  3. de la Hera, G., Ruiz-Gutiérrez, G., Viguri, J. R., Galán, B. (2024). Flexible green ammonia production plants: Small-Scale simulations based on energy aspects. Environments, 11(4), 71. DOI: 10.3390/environments11040071
  4. Reese, M., Marquart, C., Malmali, M., Wagner, K., Buchanan, E., McCormick, A., Cussler, E.L. (2016). Performance of a Small-Scale Haber Process. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 33, 3742-3750. DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.5b04909
  5. Kou, Z., Shi, D., Yang, B., Li, Z., Zhang, Q., Lu, J., Zhang, T., Lei, L., Li, Y., Dai, L., Hou, Y., (2025). Efficient green synthesis of ammonia: from mechanistic understanding to reactor design for potential production. Chemical Society Reviews, 54, 10796-10844. DOI: 10.1039/d5cs00969c
  6. Pelaquim, F.P., Bitencourt, R.G., Neto, A.M.B., Dalmolin, I.A.L., da Costa, M.C. (2022). Carbon dioxide solubility in Deep Eutectic Solvents: Modelling using Cubic Plus Association and Peng-Robinson equations of state. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 163, 14 26. DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2022.04.075
  7. Pattabathula, V., Richardson, J. (2016). Introduction to ammonia production. Chem. Eng. Prog, 112(9), 69-75. https://www.aiche.org/sites/default/files/cep/20160969.pdf
  8. Mansourian, R., Mousavi, S.M., Rahimpour, M.R. (2024). Membrane reactors for ammonia synthesis/production. In Progresses in Ammonia: Science, Technology and Membranes, 111-130. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-323-88502-7.00009-X
  9. Tripodi, A., Compagnoni, M., Bahadori, E., Rossetti, I. (2018). Process simulation of ammonia synthesis over optimized Ru/C catalyst and multibed Fe + Ru configurations. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 66, 176-186. DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2018.05.027
  10. Wang, T., Abild-Pedersen, F. (2021). Achieving industrial ammonia synthesis rates at near-ambient conditions through modified scaling relations on a confined dual site. PNAS, 118(30), 1-5. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106527118
  11. Jiang, X., Liu, Y., Deng, Y., Wang, Z., Xu, R. (2023). Numerical analysis of a miniature multi-stage compressor at variable altitudes based on stages-in-series method. Applied Thermal Engineering, 219, 1359-4311. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119563
  12. Shaker, I., El-Bagoury, M., Yaser, S., Emad, H, Hamdy, O., Abouseada, N., Bassyouni, M., Aboelela, D. (2024). Process Simulation and Design of Green Ammonia Production Plant for Carbon Neutrality. International Journal of Industry and Sustainable Development, 5(1), 2682-3993. DOI: 10.21608/ijisd.2024.247887.1041
  13. Smith, C., Hill, A.K., Torrente-Murciano, L. (2020). Current and future role of Haber–Bosch ammonia in a carbon-free energy landscape. Energy & Environmental Science, 13, 331-344. DOI: 10.1039/c9ee02873k
  14. Palys, M.J., Wang, H., Zhang, Q., Daoutidis, P. (2021). Reneweable ammonia for sustainable energy and agriculture: vision and systems engineering opportunities. Current Oppinion in Chemical Engineering, 31, 100667. DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2020.100667
  15. Verleysen, K., Coppitters, D., Parente, A., De Paepe, W., Contino, F. (2020). How can power-to-ammonia be reboust? Optimization of an ammonia synthesis plant powered by a wind turbine considering operational uncertainties. Fuel, 266, 117049. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117049
  16. Cheema, I.I., Krewer, U. (2018). Operating envelope of Haber-Bosch process design for power-to-ammonia. RSC Advances, 8, 34926-34936. DOI: 10.1039/C8RA06821F
  17. D’Angelo, S.C., Cobo, S., Tulus, V., Nabera, A., Martin, A.J., Perez-Ramirez, J., Guillen-Gosalbez, G. (2021). Planetary Boundaries Analysis of Low-Carbon Ammonia Production Routes. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 9, 9740-9749. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01915
  18. Ghavam, S., Vahdati, M., Wilson, I.A., Strying, P. (2021). Sustainable Ammonia Production Processes. Frontiers in Energy Research, 9, 580808. DOI: 10.3389/fenrg.2021.580808

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.