Water to Bread: Next Generation Ammonia

The goal of this project is the development of a sustainable ammonia synthesis process that avoids the incredible environmental cost associated with traditional “dirty” ammonia. Production of sustainable ammonia such as those from this proposed process is a key component in supporting impoverished populations with ever-increasing food demands while protecting our shared planet. One of the biggest sources of air contaminants and greenhouse gases in the traditional Haber Process is the steam-methane reformation process used to generate feedstock. With increasing environmental and governmental focus on sustainable manufacturing, the use of natural gas is not the progressive solution the world needs. We propose an alternative pathway for feedstock generation via electrolysis and cryogenic air separation. Electrolysis consumes only water and electricity to generate pure hydrogen to be used in the ammonia synthesis loop. Electricity is sourced from a combination of internal generation and external green energy suppliers. The compact, 100 tons/day, plant will be located in Alberta, Canada near the South Saskatchewan River Basin to ensure adequate feedwater supply. Adoption of innovative technologies such as electrolysis will immensely reduce the environmental price paid to feed the world.