Abstract
Analysis has indicated the cost effectiveness of anhydrous ammonia for energy storage and transmission with many potential fuel uses as well as value as a fertilizer. New solid state techniques for ammonia synthesis from electricity, air and water in a single step process when coupled with recent innovations in highly efficient offshore wind and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) energy generation open up the possibility of economically producing power, liquid fuels, fertilizer, and desalinated water simultaneously. Ammonia production by offshore energy sources has been carefully analyzed in terms of present and projected economic viability for various locations around the world. In the case of wind, ammonia generation can serve as a way of dealing with the wind intermittency. Ammonia can enable energy storage. Ammonia can also serve as a way of transmitting energy whether by pipeline, train, truck or tanker from a far offshore OTEC plantship. In terms of energy usage there is the exciting possibility of its immediate applicability with minimum conversion costs in both gasoline and diesel engines. This ammonia energy storage and transmission analysis as related to offshore wind and OTEC power is part of a program of energy technology development being executed by the Ocean Energy Institute (OEI). This analysis has explored enabling technologies related to energy generation, usage, storage and transmission of direct relevance to OTEC to assess its economic feasibility. Information gathered will support data-based modeling of OTEC's economic benefits. OEI was founded by Matthew Simmons to accelerate the development of ocean energy technologies. The primary mission is speeding the United States towards energy security with a special emphasis on liquid fuels for transportation. Because offshore wind and OTEC hold the promise of the largest scale of energy production initial attention has been focused on these two technologies by OEI. Offshore wind, both fixed and floating platform, is the nearer term option with technology transfer from European projects being a path for hastening implementation.