Atmonia's green ammonia process cuts hydrogen dependency for fertilizer production

Icelandic firm Atmonia advances single-step ammonia production without industrial hydrogen infrastructure

Atmonia, an Iceland-based company founded in 2016, has developed a single-step electrochemical process for green ammonia that eliminates the need for hydrogen production and storage. The technology operates at ambient temperature and pressure without requiring industrial-scale hydrogen infrastructure. Current prototypes use 10 square centimeters of electrode surface area, with a target of 400 square centimeters for containerized systems. Atmonia aims to produce 150 tons of ammonia annually at viable economics using current electricity prices, though this production target requires collaboration with AEM electrolyzer manufacturers to stack electrodes. The company plans to lease equipment to farmers to reduce capital barriers. Atmonia's next milestone is achieving Technology Readiness Level 6 for a prototype, with energy optimization targeting completion by late 2027.

This approach could lower costs for clean energy storage and decarbonize fertilizer production by avoiding hydrogen supply chains. However, the nitrogen reduction reaction has not been demonstrated at large scale in AEM electrolyzers, and scalability depends on resolving unknown parameters through manufacturer partnerships.

Source: AgFunder News