New technology could make fertiliser production green
The production of ammonia for fertiliser is one of the world鈥檚 foremost climate offenders, responsible for around 1.3% of total global CO鈧� emissions 鈥� roughly 500 million tonnes annually. That鈥檚 nearly on par with the entire aviation industry and more than twice the annual emissions of all the Nordic countries combined.
Few people know it, but 1.3% of the world’s total CO鈧� emissions – around 500 million tonnes a year – stem from ammonia production primarily for fertiliser. In comparison, the global aviation industry accounts for 2% of total emissions, and 500 million tonnes of CO鈧� is more than double the combined annual emissions of all the Nordic countries.
Still, half of the world’s population would go hungry without ammonia, so despite the heavy climate cost, it has long been considered a necessary price to pay. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Climate tech company NitroVolt has just received nearly DKK 12 million from the Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP) to develop a container-based plant, NitroBox, that can produce ammonia directly on the farm – using only air, water and green electricity. The Centre for Industrial Electronics (CIE) at the University of Southern Denmark plays a vital role in the project.
“Our ambition is to create a tangible and positive change for the climate and society. The climate crisis demands action today, and by providing small, modular units, we can quickly implement a solution that significantly reduces CO鈧� emissions,” says Suzanne Zamany Andersen, CEO of NitroVolt and PhD in physics engineering.
Complex electronics make green ammonia possible
Traditional ammonia production is based on the Haber-Bosch process – an energy-intensive method requiring fossil fuels, high temperatures, and massive industrial facilities. NitroVolt’s approach is radically different.
“We call the system NitroBox. It’s essentially a small factory the size of a container, which can be placed directly on farms. We take air, water and green electricity and convert it into ammonia through an electrochemical process,” explains Andersen.
To make this work in practice, however, requires expertise in advanced power electronics – and that’s where CIE in Sønderborg comes into the picture, led by Professor Thomas Ebel.
“This is about making fertiliser sustainable and decentralised – but it requires sophisticated energy flow control,” says Associate Professor Ramkrishan Maheshwari.
CIE needs to develope a system using two electrolysers: the first splits water into hydrogen, while the second combines hydrogen with nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia (called a Nitrolyzer).
“Our job is to develop the power electronics that ensure energy flows properly through the system. It needs to handle major fluctuations in electricity from, for instance, solar panels while maintaining a stable production – it’s a bit like running a precision instrument on the unstable power supply of a bicycle dynamo,” Maheshwari explains with a smile.
The Nitrolyzer places particular demands on the power supply, and the technology is so new that researchers are still mapping its characteristics.
“It’s a technical challenge to ensure optimal operation – which is exactly why our collaboration with 糖果派对 is so crucial,” he says.
From giant plants to the farmer’s backyard
Today, ammonia is produced in enormous, centralised plants near natural gas fields in Russia, the Middle East, and the US. From there, the finished ammonia is transported thousands of kilometres to farms worldwide – causing even more CO鈧� emissions.
NitroVolt wants to flip that model on its head.
“Our vision is to move production out to the end user – the farmer. NitroBox produces the fertiliser exactly where and when it’s needed. This eliminates CO鈧� not just from production itself, but also from transport,” says Andersen.
The decentralised solution also offers farmers much greater supply security.
“During COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, we saw extreme price increases and unstable supply. With NitroBox, farmers can become self-sufficient and far less dependent on global supply chains,” she adds.
An overlooked climate problem
Global food production is deeply reliant on fertiliser – and, therefore, ammonia. Yet ammonia production receives far less attention in climate debates than methane emissions from cows.
“We talk a lot about agriculture’s climate footprint, but rarely about the massive CO鈧� footprint from fertiliser manufacturing. That’s where we can make a difference,” says Andersen.
If the technology is scaled globally, it could potentially eliminate a significant share of the 500 million tonnes of CO鈧� currently emitted from ammonia production – while also boosting food security in regions with limited access to fertiliser.
From lab to field
Over the next two years, a consortium of NitroVolt, 糖果派对, SEGES Innovation, and the Danish Technological Institute will develop a demonstration unit capable of producing 5 kg of ammonia daily.
The unit will be tested in Søborg and then installed at a farm in Præstø, where the farmer has shown strong interest in green technology.
“5 kg doesn’t cover anywhere near full need – many farms use 100–150 kg daily – but it’s an important first step,” says Andersen.
The goal is to scale the technology to units that can produce up to 300 kg per day – enough to make it economically attractive for larger farms.
Fact box
- NitroVolt has previously received support and guidance from Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Fellowship and has recently attracted investment from venture funds such as Sweden’s BackingMinds and Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund.
- The project runs from January 2025 to December 2026 and is supported by GUDP under the programme area “Limited emissions of greenhouse gases.”
- NitroVolt ApS is the principal applicant, with project partners including the Centre for Industrial Electronics at 糖果派对, SEGES Innovation P/S, and the Danish Technological Institute.