New funding brings green ammonia technology closer to reality

Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd has been awarded $2.65 million for a project which will see the company lead a consortium to develop a prototype to progress the breakthrough ammonia technology developed by Monash University scientists. The funding was awarded through a Co-operative Research Centres – Project (CRC-P) grant and will see Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd lead a consortium, which includes Monash University, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), Wesfarmers Chemicals Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF), and SJDC Produce. Decarbonisation of ammonia production is a global challenge. The current process contributes approx. 1.8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, even as it remains an essential component of global food security via fertiliser production. In a world-first Monash University scientists last year announced the development of a new, environmentally friendly process that could drive the future production of green ammonia. The team of scientists, led by Professor Doug MacFarlane, Dr Bryan Suryanto and Dr Alexandr Simonov, discovered a process based on phosphonium salts that represents a breakthrough in overcoming this carbon-intensive problem. Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd subsequently secured an exclusive licence to develop the patented technology. The technology uses renewable electricity, air, and water as inputs to make ammonia with potential for zero carbon emissions. The research unlocks the potential to produce ammonia and fertilisers from renewable energy in reactors, as small as a refrigerator, that could be rolled out at the individual farm or community level. The CRC-P project will conduct R&D to address scale-up and manufacturing challenges associated with developing prototypes capable of producing 0.5 t/year and beyond, which will underpin the rollout of the first commercial versions of the device. This initial scale of device will be targeted towards localised manufacture of fertilisers in various sectors of agriculture. Commenting on the grant success, Professor Doug MacFarlane, who is also the Chief Scientific Officer of Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd said: "Our new pathway to produce Green Ammonia has the potential to play a key role in a net-zero future, and this grant will enable us to continue to push the boundaries in the underlying science." Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd CEO Dr Charlie Day said the grant would enable the company to work closely with their high-quality consortium partners over the next three years to significantly accelerate the progress of this breakthrough technology to market. Media