The future of decarbonizing fertilizer production might be happening in Canada. And it’s being built by a publicly traded company.
What’s happening:
- FuelPositive (TSXV: NHHH) has successfully installed the world’s first farmer owned green ammonia system located in Manitoba, Canada
The big idea:
- Ammonia is most commonly used for the production of nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture, however traditional production methods for ammonia cause enormous greenhouse gas emissions
- Green ammonia is a new paradigm for ammonia production which is made without any carbon emissions whatsoever, made possible through using hydrogen from water electrolysis and nitrogen separated from the air
- FuelPositive has designed and built a first of its kind decentralized green ammonia system that farm owners are able to install directly onto their properties in order to produce ammonia without harmful emissions and unlocking the ability to leverage renewable energy sources
Why it matters:
- Green ammonia is one of the most promising potential technology breakthroughs for decarbonizing ammonia production, which is a critical component of producing fertilizer that is needed for large scale farming and agriculture
By the numbers:
- FuelPositive’s initial production systems for on site green ammonia are capable of producing approximately 500 litres a day of fertilizer, which is enough to fertilize farms up to 2,000 acres in size
- Each one of FuelPositive’s modular green ammonia systems fit within three 20 foot containers
- Traditional ammonia production causes approximately 3 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions for every 1 metric ton of ammonia being produced
Going deeper:
- Green ammonia is also becoming significantly more relevant due to recent policy changes from the Canadian government which are pushing farmers and agriculture operators to significantly reduce their emissions, specifically around greenhouse gases and methane
The intrigue:
- While green ammonia has the potential to radically disrupt fertilizer production for farming, there are also multiple other potential applications including fuel cells, grid storage and even transportation
