Articles tagged with "ammonia-production"
US firm reinvents century‑old ammonia production tech to cut costs
California-based startup Ammobia has reinvented the century-old Haber-Bosch process for ammonia production, achieving significant reductions in energy demand and costs. The traditional Haber-Bosch method, developed over 100 years ago, produces ammonia by reacting atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen derived from methane at very high temperatures (around 500°C) and pressures (200 bar). This process is energy-intensive and heavily reliant on fossil fuels, contributing up to 2% of global emissions. Ammobia’s updated approach operates at temperatures 150°C lower and pressures ten times less than the conventional method, enabling ammonia production with reduced fossil fuel use and cutting production costs by up to 40%. Ammobia’s innovation involves adding a sorbent to the reactor to rapidly remove ammonia from the catalyst, allowing the reaction to proceed more efficiently, though specific technical details remain proprietary. The startup has successfully operated a small-scale reactor for over a year and plans to build a commercial-scale plant capable of producing 10 tons per day initially
energyammonia-productionHaber-Bosch-processrenewable-energychemical-manufacturingemissions-reductionindustrial-innovationAmmobia says it has reinvented a century-old technology
Ammobia, a startup aiming to transform ammonia production, has developed a novel process that significantly improves upon the century-old Haber-Bosch method. The traditional Haber-Bosch process, which produces nearly 2% of global greenhouse gases, requires high temperatures (around 500°C) and pressures (about 200 bar), relying heavily on fossil fuels both for heat and hydrogen feedstock. Ammobia’s technology operates at approximately 150°C cooler and at ten times lower pressure, enabling reduced pollution and lower upfront costs due to the use of cheaper equipment. This innovation could make ammonia production more environmentally friendly and economically competitive, even without immediately eliminating fossil fuel inputs. Ammobia’s process is also more compatible with renewable energy sources, as its lower pressure operation allows for easier ramping up and down of production. This flexibility could enable the use of surplus renewable electricity to generate cheap hydrogen and ammonia, reducing the need for hydrogen or electricity storage and further cutting costs. Additionally, the smaller scale of Amm
energyammonia-productiongreen-technologyHaber-Bosch-processclean-energyhydrogen-alternativeindustrial-innovationSaudi plans new hydrogen-to-ammonia facility twice Neom’s plant size
Saudi Arabia is advancing its green hydrogen ambitions with the planned Yanbu Green Hydrogen Hub, a facility nearly twice the size of the ongoing 2.2 GW Neom project. Developed by ACWA Power and Germany’s EnBW, the Yanbu site will feature 4 GW of electrolysis capacity, producing up to 400,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. This hydrogen will be converted into green ammonia for global export. The front-end engineering design (FEED) contract has been awarded to Spain’s Técnicas Reunidas and China’s Sinopec, marking the start of detailed planning. The project includes desalination systems and a dedicated export terminal, though renewable power generation—expected from separate solar and wind farms—is not part of the current contract but is essential for fully green hydrogen production. This initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s broader goal to invest $270 billion in energy by 2030 and supply 10% of the world’s hydrogen exports. The Yanbu hub will be pivotal in providing
energygreen-hydrogenammonia-productionrenewable-energyelectrolysisSaudi-Arabiaclean-energy-projectsChina firm launches world-largest green hydrogen and ammonia plant
A Shanghai-based company, Envision Energy, has launched what it claims to be the world’s largest and most advanced green hydrogen and ammonia production facility in Chifeng, China. Powered entirely by the largest off-grid renewable energy system, the plant integrates wind, solar, and energy storage to produce green ammonia with an initial annual target of 300,000 tons, scaling up to 1.5 million tons by 2028. The facility is notable for being fully AI-enabled, allowing real-time optimization and stability at industrial scale, and is located within the Chifeng Net Zero Industrial Park, the world’s largest zero-carbon industrial park. This project represents a significant advancement in clean energy and industrial decarbonization, employing innovative energy storage and load flexibility technologies such as converting surplus green power to liquid nitrogen and dynamically adjusting electrolyzer operations based on renewable power availability. Envision positions the plant as a modular, replicable model for clean industrial hubs globally, emphasizing its strategic role in achieving net-zero
energygreen-hydrogenammonia-productionrenewable-energyAI-optimizationclean-energyindustrial-decarbonizationUS scientists turn contaminated water into 92% pure fertilizer, fuel
Yale researchers have developed a novel electrochemical method to convert nitrate—a common and harmful water pollutant—into ammonia with a remarkable 92% efficiency. This breakthrough addresses two critical challenges in nitrate conversion: achieving high selectivity (minimizing unwanted byproducts) and high activity (speed of conversion). The team combined an ionophore, which binds and retains nitrite (a problematic intermediate), with an electrified membrane made of copper and carbon nanotubes. This combination allows nitrite to be fully converted into ammonia before it escapes, enabling rapid conversion in just six seconds—significantly faster than traditional methods that take hours. The system was tested successfully on real water samples from a lake and a wastewater treatment plant, demonstrating stability and practical applicability. This technology not only promises cleaner water by removing nitrate pollutants but also produces ammonia, a valuable resource for fertilizers and carbon-free fuels. The researchers believe their approach, detailed in Nature Chemical Engineering, could be scaled up for conventional water treatment, offering a
energymaterialselectrochemical-conversionwater-purificationammonia-productionelectrocatalystssustainable-technologyMagnetic fields supercharge catalysts for cleaner water and cheaper ammonia
energymaterialscatalystsammonia-productionwastewater-treatmentmagnetic-fieldselectrochemistryJapan: Scientists develop new trick to trap ammonia from air, water
energyammonia-productionartificial-photosynthesiscatalystssustainable-agriculturecarbon-emissionsphotocatalysis