Ammonia as alternative renewable fuel
Renewable ammonia, a green umbrella for sustainable future.
To move from large centralised ammonia plants with high-energy consumption and CO2 emissions to ammonia as a renewable fuel, it is necessary to switch to smaller scale decentralised ammonia production facilities with electricity produced from renewable sources such as wind turbines and solar photo-voltaic cells. Observing the highly efficient nitrogen fixation occurring in nature by bacteria and plants at ambient conditions, we were inspired to explore the electrochemical route to ammonia synthesis.
Thermo-catalytic reactor
The reactors for ammonia synthesis will be combining catalytic and magnetic nanoparticles for heating, embedded in high-surface area 3D printed ceramic supports.
Electro-catalytic reactor
Full cell fuel-cells will be assembled and tested for N2 reduction to ammonia in water using new NRR and new OER electrocatalysts at FE>60% and cell potentials of up to 2V.
Plasma-assisted electro-catalytic reactor
CPlasma will activate nitrogen molecules and shift selectivity towards ammonia synthesis at higher current densities to improve the overall production rate.