TY - JOUR
T1 - Scenario based techno-economic study of surplus hydropower-based urea production from cement plant flue-gas captured using piperazine-absorption
AU - Shrestha, Suniti
AU - Parajuli, Samvid
AU - Gorjian, Shiva
AU - Rodriguez-Couto, Susana
AU - Angove, Michael J.
AU - Mainali, Bandita
AU - Paudel, Shukra Raj
PY - 2025/1/15
Y1 - 2025/1/15
N2 - This study seeks to assess the viability of a surplus hydropower-driven urea production plant incorporating a novel piperazine-absorption-based carbon capture system from cement plant flue gas in Nepal. It includes a formally unexplored comprehensive technological review, economic analysis, and sensitivity analysis, proposing an optimized pathway to alleviate the government's annual liability of 65.68 million USD from urea subsidies. The capital cost for the 500-ton capacity plant is 155.77 million USD, with hydrogen and urea units contributing 34.00 % and 32.22 %, respectively, and an annual operating cost of 78.90 million USD. The calculated levelized cost of urea is 513.74 USD per ton, demonstrating sensitivity to electricity costs, breaking even below 0.04 USD per kilowatt-hour energy. This allows for annual urea production up to 12,725.93 kilotons while achieving a significant 81.14 % reduction in global warming potential compared to conventional synthesis (0.46 kg CO2 equivalent per kg of urea produced). This approach, presenting a competitive and streamlined alternative, addresses gaps in previous literature. Additionally, the study, for the first time, explores urea production potential in four energy-demand scenarios, offering insights to shape government frameworks for optimizing the food-energy nexus, supporting global energy transition goals, promoting circular economy in Nepal, and guiding similar resource settings in developing economies.
AB - This study seeks to assess the viability of a surplus hydropower-driven urea production plant incorporating a novel piperazine-absorption-based carbon capture system from cement plant flue gas in Nepal. It includes a formally unexplored comprehensive technological review, economic analysis, and sensitivity analysis, proposing an optimized pathway to alleviate the government's annual liability of 65.68 million USD from urea subsidies. The capital cost for the 500-ton capacity plant is 155.77 million USD, with hydrogen and urea units contributing 34.00 % and 32.22 %, respectively, and an annual operating cost of 78.90 million USD. The calculated levelized cost of urea is 513.74 USD per ton, demonstrating sensitivity to electricity costs, breaking even below 0.04 USD per kilowatt-hour energy. This allows for annual urea production up to 12,725.93 kilotons while achieving a significant 81.14 % reduction in global warming potential compared to conventional synthesis (0.46 kg CO2 equivalent per kg of urea produced). This approach, presenting a competitive and streamlined alternative, addresses gaps in previous literature. Additionally, the study, for the first time, explores urea production potential in four energy-demand scenarios, offering insights to shape government frameworks for optimizing the food-energy nexus, supporting global energy transition goals, promoting circular economy in Nepal, and guiding similar resource settings in developing economies.
KW - Carbon capture
KW - Circular economy
KW - Levelized cost
KW - Surplus hydropower & green hydrogen
KW - Techno-economic analysis
KW - Urea
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85214523541&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.energy.2025.134463
DO - 10.1016/j.energy.2025.134463
M3 - Article
SN - 0360-5442
VL - 315
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Energy
JF - Energy
M1 - 134463
ER -