Techno-Economic Analysis of Low-Temperature Alkaline Ammonia Electrolysis Using a Gross Margin Model

A gross margin-based framework is employed to evaluate profitability under different market and operational conditions, including current density threshold and applied cell potential. The system can achieve positive gross margins in certain applications at the typical market prices. Sensitivity analysis shows that product and reactant prices, followed by applied cell potential and electricity price, have the greatest impact on the system profitability.

Operational analysis also reveals a trade-off between the current density and working charge ratio that defines a practical performance window for maximizing economic returns. While this analysis confirms the feasibility of MEA-based ammonia electrolysis under specific conditions, additional research is necessary to address the remaining concerns about durability, ammonia crossover, and catalyst poisoning. The findings offer guidance for the future system design and performance goals.