Argonne National Laboratory

With Support from DOE HFTO, Hydrogen Carrier Scenario Analysis Model (HCSAM) is developed by Argonne National Laboratory and released publicly in 2024. It is a technoeconomic analysis (TEA) model comprising state-of-the-art data covering the entire supply chain of ammonia (NH3) as a hydrogen carrier. HCSAM includes ammonia production pathways (conventional, conventional with carbon capture & storage and renewable) which is linked with the different transmission modes. Truck-trailer for in-land road transport, railway transmission, and pipeline mode of transmission are available to deliver ammonia from the site of production to the delivery location. In addition, ocean-tanker (marine) pathway of ammonia transport for inter-continental transport is also included. The transported ammonia is delivered at a central location (e.g. city gate or import port) where ammonia decomposition plant is co-located. Cracking of ammonia at the centralized location is performed to obtain hydrogen. Discounted cash flow is used to calculate the cost contribution of each component in a production, transmission and decomposition pathway that extends from the feedstock used for ammonia production to the final ammonia cracking to obtain hydrogen.

TEA of infrastructures involved in entire supply chain of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.

• To provide a platform for economic assessment of various options of ammonia production, transport and cracking.
• To identify the cost drivers of hydrogen transport in the form of ammonia and compare with the conventional transport of compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH2) and liquified hydrogen (LH2).
• To provide the comprehensive outlook and economy involved in regional/global hydrogen trade and help government agencies and industry stakeholders to make informed decisions.

HCSAM is based on the numerical framework of Hydrogen Delivery Scenario Analysis Model (HDSAM) developed by Argonne National Laboratory for TEA of hydrogen delivery and refueling for various fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. market. HCSAM enables the identification of key cost drivers for ammonia production, transport and cracking, thus allowing the users to recognize the least cost options based on demand. All assumptions and calculations in the model are transparent so that the key components of the production and delivery infrastructures are easily identified. By performing the discounted cash flow analysis, HCSAM estimates the levelized cost of ammonia and hydrogen at end use. The levelized cost accounts for the cost of production, transport, and cracking over the infrastructure’s lifetime which takes into account the capital cost, installation cost, operating and maintenance (O&M) cost, fuel cost as well as the associated fees, rent, taxes & insurance. HCSAM provides the levelized cost of delivered ammonia to the cracking plant ($/kg-NH3) as well as the levelized cost of delivered hydrogen post cracking ($/kg-H2).

• The purchase cost of equipment and tools: ammonia production plant, purchase cost of truck-trailer, ocean tanker, ammonia storage vessel, pumps, and ammonia cracking plant are obtained from vendors, industry and literature.
• The cost of ammonia transport using railways is based on the U.S. railway waybill data.
• For the cost of ammonia pipelines, historical natural gas pipeline cost data, in the U.S., is used as a surrogate to create regional cost equations expressed as function of pipeline diameter and length, which is further supplemented with the cost of coating to transport ammonia.
• Depreciation and labor rates are based on government data statistics.
• Land requirement is based on NFPA codes and standards.
• Process and equipment technical information based on industry input and basic engineering process modeling.
• Cost to natural gas and electricity is from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The HCSAM model uses an Excel-based platform with graphical user interface, and is freely available to the public (see below for download link).

HCSAM must be run in Microsoft Excel 2010® for full functionality. The model is available as an open-source software package copyright by UChicago Argonne, LLC. Prior to downloading the model, users must register.