Green ammonia: a carbon-free future for fertilizers
Today's ammonia plants currently cause 1% of total global GHG emissions, including the carbon dioxide embedded in urea fertilizer. In order to deliver its "fair share" of emission reductions, and in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the nitrogen fertilizer industry has begun to examine transition pathways, away from its reliance upon fossil inputs (fuel and feedstock) and towards broader use of alternative technologies, including renewable energy and process electrification. This presentation will provide a summary of the decarbonization projects underway around the world, and address the question: Without a carbon dioxide byproduct, how will green ammonia plants produce urea in the future?
About Kevin Rouwenhorst
Kevin Rouwenhorst graduated from University of Twente (The Netherlands) in 2016, with a degree in Chemical & Process Engineering. He continued research at the University of Twente with a PhD project on ‘Plasma-catalytic ammonia synthesis’. During the final year of his PhD research, he works part-time as Innovation Engineer at Proton Ventures and as Technology Manager at the Ammonia Energy Association (AEA), with the aim to accelerate the responsible use of low carbon ammonia as a zero carbon fuel and hydrogen carrier.
