EASY project brings sustainable ammonia production to industrial application
Ammonia, a key raw material for the production of nitrogen fertilisers and important industrial chemicals, is traditionally produced using the Haber-Bosch process — which relies on natural gas as a source of hydrogen and involves a high overall energy input. Electrochemical ammonia synthesis is regarded as an alternative, sustainable process, but has not yet reached commercial-scale market maturity. This is now set to change — thanks to the EIC transition project EASY.
EASY is one of 40 projects selected in February 2026 by the European Innovation Council (EIC) from a total of 611 submissions as a transition project. The aim of the these projects is to bring research results to market maturity. The EASY project is being carried out by the Flemish research institute VITO in cooperation with the companies Atmonia (Iceland), TEGA (Germany), Ecovibes (Greece) and LbhÍ, the Agricultural University of Iceland.
Background: conventional ammonia production
Ammonia production using the traditional Haber-Bosch process relies on hydrogen production via the steam reforming of methane, with the latter usually being supplied in the form of natural gas. In most cases, the CO₂ produced during the process is emitted into the atmosphere.
The second reactant, nitrogen, is obtained through cryogenic air separation.
The key step in the process – the synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen – is carried out on an iron-based catalyst at a pressure of approximately 150 to 350 bar and a temperature of approximately 400 to 500 °C. Here, too, energy is required to generate the pressure and temperature. Furthermore, the literature also mentions the complex process of purifying the product from by-products such as CO or sulphur [1]. Modern production plants (as of 2018) are capable of producing ammonia with an energy input of approximately 34 GJ/t NH3-N (ammonium nitrogen) [2]. Plants employing this technology, where the optimised Haber-Bosch process has already come relatively close to the theoretically achievable minimum, are located in Western Europe.
The plants currently in operation with the highest energy consumption (around 50% higher than those in Western Europe) are located in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe [2].
War in Iran is driving up the price of nitrogen fertiliser
The heavy reliance of conventional ammonia production on natural gas is currently leading to drastic price rises for fertilisers (see, for example, CNBC). As natural gas accounts for a high proportion – up to 80% – of the production costs for nitrogen fertilisers, significant production capacity is also located in regions where natural gas is available, including the Gulf region. According to the Oman Observer, approximately one-third of the urea traded globally and around 20% of ammonia pass through the Strait of Hormuz. And although EU countries rely on domestic fertiliser production and are less affected by this transport blockade, the chemical industry there is also suffering from rising natural gas prices.
„World market prices for nitrogen fertilizer are increasingly approaching the peak levels we saw at the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine [in February 2022],“ said Philipp Spinne, managing director of the German Raiffeisen Association (DRV) to Omanobserver.
Natural gas- and CO2-emission-free ammonia production is becoming increasingly important
Electrochemical ammonia production, as is to be developed on an industrial scale in the EASY project, is based on the electrolysis of water and the reaction of the resulting hydrogen with atmospheric nitrogen within a single system. As the energy required takes the form of electrical current, the use of renewable energy sources is easy to implement. The systems developed on laboratory or pilot scale to date differ in their choice of electrolyte (solid or liquid), reaction conditions (moderate or high temperature), and electrode and catalyst materials.
Further references
[1] S. Gunduz, Dhruba J. Deka, U.S. Ozkan: A review of the current trends in high-temperature electrocatalytic ammonia production using solid electrolytes. Journal of Catalysis Vol 387, 2020, pp 207 —2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2020.04.025 [2] Research Services of the German Bundestag: Energy consumption in the production of mineral nitrogen fertilisers. Documentation (in German), reference number WD 8 – 3000 -088/18, dated 14 August 2018.Featured image: Franz W. / Pixabay