In this talk we cover the newest results out of our NitroLabs in the electrochemical ammonia synthesis process, and our new 400 cm2 cell. We will also cover our journey from the lab and towards the end customer: the farmer.
The overwhelming majority of the industrial ammonia production today, is based on the Haber-Bosch process, which requires high pressures and high temperatures, favouring large centralized production facilities. These harsh conditions, in addition to the prerequisite steam reforming process, lead to about 1 % of the annual energy consumption and 1.3 % of the global CO2 emission. One way to mitigate some of the Haber-Bosch process is to produce ammonia electrochemically, utilizing renewable energy sources.
The only proven method to electrochemically synthesize ammonia is the lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction process. The actual mechanism is not fully understood, but it is generally believed that the first step is Li plating from a Li salt containing non-aqueous electrolyte. The metallic Li will react with N2 to form Li3N, which can be hydrogenated to ammonia when in contact with a proton source.
We will cover our newest work, wherein we use a flow cell-based system of geometric size 400 cm2 to achieve continuous production of ammonia. This lays the groundwork for upscaling the production to a stack and then to a container-sized system, thereby paving the way towards each farm having their own NitroBox providing green ammonia on demand, and securing resilience towards supply-chain disruptions for the farmer.