Contact us

Select option
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
01
GreeNH3

Feeding the world’s population with no emissions

Feeding the world today would be impossible without synthetic fertiliser. Over 100 years ago, Haber and Bosch created a high pressure, intermediate temperature chemical process that changed the world. Today, Supercritical is doing the same.

>200bara


hydrogen delivery across battery limit to ammonia plant

35%


lower LCOH200 than incumbent technology

21%


lower LCOA than incumbent technology

10x


reduction in CapEx of ammonia compressor

75%


reduction in duty of compressor

50%


less lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than PEM electrolysis

The world’s dirty little secret

Ammonia synthesis, scaled through the Haber-Bosch process, is the reason our planet can feed 8 billion people. In 1900, the population was below 2 billion. Ammonia is the critical ingredient for nitrogen fertilisers, the most widely used fertiliser in the world. Today, ammonia is produced from natural gas, via a process called steam methane reforming. This fossil fuel emits around 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide for every tonne of hydrogen it produces! Stoichiometrically, you need approximately 1.8 tonnes of hydrogen for every 10 tonnes of ammonia. That gives an estimate of approximately 18 tonnes of CO2 produced for every 10 tonnes of ammonia produced using natural gas.

Ammonia synthesis can be done with NO emissions. In the 1900s, huge water electrolysis plants were deployed for ammonia. Two Norwegian 165 MW hydropower driven plants in Norway went online in 1928 and 1949. In Egypt, another at 203MW went online in 1959. It was only when natural gas flooded the market with its low cost that it became the primary feedstock for nitrogen fertiliser production.

Today, Supercritical brings its technology to the stage which has the potential to enable the rise of green water electrolysis plants for ammonia synthesis. All the benefits with none of the emissions.

The world’s dirty little secret

Ammonia synthesis, scaled through the Haber-Bosch process, is the reason our planet can feed 8 billion people. In 1900, the population was below 2 billion. Ammonia is the critical ingredient for nitrogen fertilisers, the most widely used fertiliser in the world. Today, ammonia is produced from natural gas, via a process called steam methane reforming. This fossil fuel emits around 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide for every tonne of hydrogen it produces! Stoichiometrically, you need approximately 1.8 tonnes of hydrogen for every 10 tonnes of ammonia. That gives an estimate of approximately 18 tonnes of CO2 produced for every 10 tonnes of ammonia produced using natural gas.

Ammonia synthesis can be done with NO emissions. In the 1900s, huge water electrolysis plants were deployed for ammonia. Two Norwegian 165 MW hydropower driven plants in Norway went online in 1928 and 1949. In Egypt, another at 203MW went online in 1959. It was only when natural gas flooded the market with its low cost that it became the primary feedstock for nitrogen fertiliser production.

Today, Supercritical brings its technology to the stage which has the potential to enable the rise of green water electrolysis plants for ammonia synthesis. All the benefits with none of the emissions.

e-Chemicals

ScottishPower, an Iberdrola company, aims to deploy 1000 MW of green hydrogen capacity in the next decade. Iberdrola, leading renewable energy developer in Europe, is pioneering industrial deployments and has deployed 20MW of green hydrogen capacity in Portugal, feeding ammonia production at the Fertiberia.

Green ammonia for fertiliser
  • The population needs to be fed, and emissions need to be reduced. Green hydrogen for ammonia is the only solution for decarbonising this sector.
Green ammonia for fuel
  • The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) estimates shipping accounts for 2.33% of global CO2 emissions
  • Ammonia in turbines, engines and fuel cells is being evaluated for use in the marine sector
Green ammonia as a hydrogen transport vector
  • Studies have shown that ammonia is a promising solution for transporting hydrogen over long distances. Making it possible to move renewable energy from areas rich in renewable energy to demand centres

Supercritical and ScottishPower are exploring opportunities to pilot this optimised green ammonia production solution, aiming to commercialise the technology this decade.

the latest developments

Sign up to our mailing list and be one of the first to be notified when we have news to share.

By clicking Sign Up you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.