Extended Data Fig. 3: Trade-offs between different ammonia production pathways across key dimensions.
From: Low-carbon ammonia production is essential for resilient and sustainable agriculture
This figure presents the comparative trade-off analysis of six ammonia production pathways: (i) Natural gas (Business as Usual or BAU), (i) natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), (iii) biochemical process with CCS, (iv) wind-powered electrolysis, (v) solar-powered electrolysis, and (vi) small-scale decentralized renewable-based electrolysis. The metrics considered are: (a) Levelized Cost of Ammonia in US$ per metric tonne of ammonia (US$ per t NH3), (b) electricity use in MWh per t NH3, (c) water use in m3 per t NH3), (d) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in t CO2e per t NH3, and (e) land use in m2 per t NH3. For each metric, the bars represent the range of uncertainty (low to high values), while the black circles indicate the reference scenario value. The results demonstrate substantial variability between pathways, particularly in cost, electricity use, water use, and land use.
