Ammonia is essential for fertiliser production but producing it is carbon intensive.
In the 19th Century, Europeans realised what the Inca had known long before. Bird droppings, or guano, made a fantastic fertiliser.It was so rich in ammonia, the key ingredient, that a mere whiff could induce coughing and sneezing. Not exactly a pleasant cargo to ferry across the world.
But yet again, someone is asking whether we should do things differently because the Haber-Bosch process, when powered by fossil fuels, is notoriously polluting.of global CO2 emissions. Now, a string of companies aim to prove that they can make green ammonia, or alternatives, without wrecking the climate."We have a well-sealed system, you don't smell it," says Joe Beach, reassuringly.
Crucially, the whole thing can, says Mr Beach, run on intermittent renewable energy such as wind and solar. "For a conventional ammonia plant to go from cold to full output is a two- to three-day process," he says. "For us, it's about a two-hour process." "We do want to make fertiliser on a small scale so we can use it more efficiently," says Lea Winter at Yale University. Cutting the need to transport ammonia fertiliser over long-distances could further reduce emissions, she notes.Another firm, Atmonia in Iceland, also wants to sell mini ammonia factories that fit inside shipping containers.
Within the next 12-18 months, Jupiter Ionics aims to scale up its equipment so that it can produce a kilogram of ammonia per day. A grape farmer in the state of Victoria who has solar panels on his land is hoping to trial the system, says Prof MacFarlane.
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