Sustainable Urea Production and its Impact on Reducing CO2 emissions in Arequipa, Perú

Rodríguez J.C.; Vidal Y.S. · AIUB Journal of Science and Engineering (2026) · DOI: 10.53799/1gd8y610

Resumen

Currently, around 90% of synthetic fertilizers in Perú are imported, one of the most widely used being urea. The objective of this work is to present a urea production model coupled to two types of power plants based on the Peruvian energy matrix. Arequipa, a city in Perú, was considered a benchmark due to its diversified energy matrix. The proposed urea synthesis plant produces 15,768 tons of urea annually through an electricity-powered electrolysis process combined with carbon capture. The results showed that the urea production system requires 33.57 MW of electrical power, while the carbon capture system requires 1.47 kg/s of CO₂. A simplified economic assessment yielded a Levelized Cost of Urea (LCOU) of approximately 187 USD/t, while the proposed system achieved an energy efficiency of 59.6 kg urea/GJ. The CO₂ emissions that can be used as carbon credits from the solar photovoltaic power plant were higher than those generated by the thermoelectric power plant. These findings demonstrate the potential of Arequipa as a sustainable location for low-carbon urea production. © (2026), (AIUB Office of Research and Publication). All rights reserved.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa