The Green Ammonia Demonstrator - a National Net-Zero Project
Lead Research Organisation:
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Department Name: Technology
Abstract
This proposal focuses on the development of the Green Ammonia Demonstrator at Harwell as an interdisciplinary research, development and demonstration project for renewable chemical-energy fuel production, storage and utilisation and as an educational and teaching resource for future zero-carbon energy technologies.
The Green Ammonia Demonstrator was designed, built and commissioned at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire in 2018 as the world's first roundtrip demonstration of green ammonia for energy storage (Power-to-Ammonia-to-Power). The project was part of the Siemens-led "Decoupled Green Energy" project funded by InnovateUK/EPSRC (£1.6M) and Siemens (£1M). On 1st October 2019, Siemens transferred Demonstrator hardware in its entirety to UKRI-STFC to facilitate the future use of this system as a research and teaching resource.
The resources requested cover the full technical handover of the Demonstrator from Siemens to UKRI-STFC over 18 months as well as the expansion of its role to include active research into further aspects of renewable ammonia synthesis, storage and utilisation. Coupled to this expanded role will be the integration of four extant CDT groups in relevant areas of energy research. The majority of the resources requested will cover engineering expertise for both day-to-day running of the demonstrator and augmenting its potential research capabilities.
The Green Ammonia Demonstrator was designed, built and commissioned at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire in 2018 as the world's first roundtrip demonstration of green ammonia for energy storage (Power-to-Ammonia-to-Power). The project was part of the Siemens-led "Decoupled Green Energy" project funded by InnovateUK/EPSRC (£1.6M) and Siemens (£1M). On 1st October 2019, Siemens transferred Demonstrator hardware in its entirety to UKRI-STFC to facilitate the future use of this system as a research and teaching resource.
The resources requested cover the full technical handover of the Demonstrator from Siemens to UKRI-STFC over 18 months as well as the expansion of its role to include active research into further aspects of renewable ammonia synthesis, storage and utilisation. Coupled to this expanded role will be the integration of four extant CDT groups in relevant areas of energy research. The majority of the resources requested will cover engineering expertise for both day-to-day running of the demonstrator and augmenting its potential research capabilities.
| Description | This small grant has enabled a Green Ammonia Research Centre to continue, with its subsequent input into a major DESNZ-funded "ASPIRE- Ammonia Synthesis Plant using Intermittent Renewable Energy" project |
| Exploitation Route | Further funding applications are being drafted to use the facilities enabled by this grant |
| Sectors | Energy |
| Description | Visits to the Green Ammonia Demonstrator have, we believe, been useful to both Govt Policy makers (DESNZ, BEIS and the Department of International Trade), and to UK industry who have learnt that "Green Ammmonia" is potentially a very useful and versatile energy vector |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Energy |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Contribution to a national consultation/review - Policy Input |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Input about Green Ammonia provided for the "UK Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework" |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-research-and-innovation-framework |
| Description | Policy Input |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | ASPIRE (Ammonia Synthesis Plant from Intermittent Renewable Energy) |
| Amount | £4,283,445 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | HYS2308 |
| Organisation | Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 06/2025 |
| Description | Attendance at Energy Innovation Summit 2022 (ofgem/BEIS/InnovateUK/REGEN) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 28-29 September 2022 - GLASGOW |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.energyinnovationsummit.org.uk/archive/2022/ |
| Description | Briefing about Green Ammonia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to approx 30 officials from Department for Energy Security and Net Zero about energy R&D inc Green Ammonia Research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Conducted Tours around the Green Ammonia Demonstrator (2021) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 1/Jun/2021 - Hosted a visit by Network Rail and Siemens Energy 27/Sept/2021 - Hosted a visit by Countryside Renewables 30/Sept/2021 - Hosted a visit by Oxford Bus Company 26/Nov/2021 - Hosted a visit by Johnson Mathey 30/Nov/2021 - Hosted a visit by Ryze Hydrogen and Siemens Energy |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Conducted Tours around the Green Ammonia Demonstrator (2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 7/Feb/2022 - Hosted a visit from the BEIS Hydrogen Team 20/May/2022 - Hosted a visit from Network Rail 7/June/2022 - Hosted a visit from University of Oxford, OXGRIN, and Ocean Infinity 8/July/2022 - Hosted a visit from Fortescue Future Industries 30/Sept/2022 - Hosted a visit from Interlock Consulting LLC 1/Nov/2022 - Hosted a visit from Siemens Energy and the BEIS Hydrogen team |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Conducted Tours around the Green Ammonia Demonstrator (2023) - 6 industry visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 24/Jan/2023 - Hosted a visit by East-West Rail 27/April/2023 - STFC Energy Tech Cluster 17/May/2023 - Geopura Board 15/May/2023 - Sunborne Systems Board 8/June/2023 - STFC Air Quality Network 5/October/2023 - Harwell Campus Energy Companies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Conducted Tours around the Green Ammonia Demonstrator (2023) - Decision maker Visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | 7/Feb/2023 - Visit from Officials from Department for International Trade (DiT) 25/May/2023 - Visit by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (Proessor Dame Angela McLean) and the CSA of the Depratment of Education (Proessor Russell Viner) 19/September/2023 - Vist from Officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (DESNZ) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Conducted Tours around the Green Ammonia Demonstrator (2024) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | UKRI Officials 21/3/2024, DESNZ officials 18/12/2024 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Conducted Tours around the Green Ammonia Demonstrator (2025) - 1 policy maker visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Tour of the Demonstrator by the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) of the Departmant for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Harwell Open Weeks - Public Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prsentations about STFC's Green Ammonia Research activity |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Participation at Energy Innovation Summit 2023 (ENA/DESNZ/InnovateUK/ofgem) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | 31 October - 1 November 2023 - Liverpool |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.energyinnovationsummit.org.uk/ |
| Description | Participation at Energy Innovation Summit 2024 (ENA/DESNZ/InnovateUK/ofgem) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Discussions with Energy supply professionals about Green Ammonia |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Participation in UKRI Net-Zero Exhibition in the House of Parliament |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Briefing policy makers about Green Ammonia and the work being carried out at the Green Ammonia Demonstrator |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Participation in the UKRI Exhibition on "Energy Day" at COP26 in Glasgow |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Describing UKRI's R&D on Green Ammonia |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Visit from Delegates of the "1st Symposium on Ammonia Energy" Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | After a two day conference on Ammonia Energy held in Cardiff in September 2022 delegates were offered the chance to visit the Green Ammonia Demonstrator - over 40 delegates opted to travel to Oxfordshire to take part in the tour |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |