A new device could let farmers generate fertilizer right out of the air. The device harnesses wind energy and draws air through a specialized mesh that then creates what scientists are calling “green ammonia,” a more climate-friendly version of one of the primary ingredients found in fertilizer.
The device was pioneered by researchers Stanford University and highlighted in a study published in the journal Science. This new method has the potential to completely replace the century-old process we currently rely on, which uses high pressure and temperature to combine nitrogen and hydrogen to create ammonia.
The current method consumes roughly 2 percent of the global energy budget and accounts for 1 percent of the global annual carbon dioxide emissions alone because of its dependence on natural gases. However, this new process to create green ammonia could remove the need for natural gases, thus cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions.
While 1 percent might not seem like much, every little bit can help, especially when the UN has warned that we’re nowhere near our goals to control climate change. The researchers have already showcased just how useful the new tech can be by demonstrating it on-site rather than in a lab.
The device, which doesn’t seem to have a name as of yet, essentially works by pulling nitrogen from the air and pushing it through a special mesh made of a combination of iron oxide and an acid polymer containing fluorine and sulfur, as well as water droplets. All of this comes together to create the green ammonia that they have so desperately been searching for.
While the device is still two to three years away from being market-ready, being able to produce one of the primary ingredients for fertilizer out of thin air is a remarkable accomplishment. The researchers are now focused on developing larger mesh systems, which will help maximize the production of ammonia.
The researchers believe that green ammonia offers a new frontier in sustainability and that when it is scaled up economically, it could drastically reduce the planet’s reliance on fossil fuels across several different industries and sectors.
