What is Ammonia? Your Guide to a Vital Chemical
At Yara Clean Ammonia, we leverage over a century of expertise in ammonia production, logistics, and safe handling to drive the global energy transition.
Discover the molecule powering life on Earth and enabling a cleaner energy future. Ammonia (NH₃) is a chemical compound that has been fundamental to human progress for over a century, primarily through its role in agriculture. Today, as the world seeks to decarbonize, this versatile molecule is emerging as a critical enabler of the hydrogen economy, offering sustainable solutions for maritime, power generation, and industrial sectors.
Key Benefits of Ammonia
Essential for Life
A fundamental component of the Earth's nitrogen cycle, vital for plant and animal growth
Foundation of Food Security
Over 80% of global ammonia production is used in fertilizers, feeding billions worldwide
Efficient Energy Carrier
Offers higher energy density and ease of storage and transport compared to hydrogen
Versatile for Decarbonization
Enables emission reductions in hard-to-abate sectors like shipping, power generation, and heavy industry
Proven Safety Record
Produced, stored, and transported safely at industrial scale for over 100 years, with well-established safety protocols
The building blocks of Ammonia
Ammonia is a simple yet powerful chemical compound with the formula NH₃. This means each molecule of ammonia consists of one nitrogen atom (N) bonded with three hydrogen atoms (H). Both nitrogen and hydrogen are among the most abundant elements in the universe and are naturally present in our environment.
Nitrogen, making up about 78% of the air we breathe, is obtained through a process called air separation. Hydrogen, though abundant, rarely exists in its pure form on Earth and is typically extracted from other compounds, such as natural gas or water. Once obtained, these elements are combined to create ammonia.
Ammonia's natural role: the Nitrogen cycle
Ammonia is not just a man-made chemical; it's a naturally occurring compound crucial for sustaining life on Earth. It plays a central role in the nitrogen cycle, a fundamental biogeochemical process that converts nitrogen into various forms, cycling it through the atmosphere, soil, and living organisms.
In this cycle, ammonia acts as a vital source of nitrogen for plants and animals, serving as an essential nutrient for growth and development. This natural presence underscores its importance in ecological systems and its long-standing interaction with our planet.
Understanding Low-Emission Ammonia: Production Methods and Carbon Intensity
While ammonia (NH₃) is chemically the same regardless of how it's produced, the environmental impact of its production varies significantly. The industry often uses "colours" to categorize ammonia based on the carbon emissions generated during its manufacturing process. At Yara Clean Ammonia, we emphasize "carbon intensity" as a more precise measure of its environmental footprint.
Grey Ammonia: Conventional Production
Grey ammonia represents the conventional method of production, which historically accounts for the vast majority of global output. In this process, hydrogen, a key component of ammonia, is produced from fossil fuels such as natural gas or coal. This method releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere.
Currently, about 70% of hydrogen is extracted from natural gas, emitting approximately 5 tons of CO₂ for each ton of hydrogen, while coal-based extraction emits around 9 tons of CO₂ per ton of hydrogen. This makes conventional ammonia production a considerable contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the IEA, global hydrogen production today is still overwhelmingly fossil-based: low-emissions hydrogen accounts for less than 1% of total production, while nearly two-thirds of supply comes from unabated natural gas and about 20% from unabated coal. The typical cradle-to-factory-gate carbon intensity is around 10–12 kg CO₂-eq/kg H₂ for steam methane reforming and 22–26 kg CO₂-eq/kg H₂ for coal gasification.
Blue Ammonia: Low-Carbon with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
Blue ammonia is produced using the conventional method (from natural gas or coal), but with the critical addition of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. CCS involves capturing the CO₂ emissions generated during hydrogen production, compressing and liquefying them, and then storing them permanently underground.
This process can capture and store up to 95% of the CO₂ emissions, significantly reducing the carbon footprint compared to grey ammonia. Yara is a pioneer in blue ammonia projects, exemplified by its Sluiskil plant in the Netherlands, which is implementing a major CCS project to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by upto 800,000 tons.
Renewable Ammonia: Emission-Free
Renewable ammonia represents the ultimate goal for sustainable production, achieving a near-zero carbon footprint. In this method, hydrogen is generated through water electrolysis, a process that uses electricity to split water molecules (H₂O) into hydrogen and oxygen. Crucially, this electricity comes from renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or hydropower.
By utilizing renewable energy, the ammonia production avoids approximately 99% of CO₂ emissions. Yara is at the forefront of this innovation, as demonstrated by its new renewable hydrogen plant in Porsgrunn, Norway (dubbed "Skrei"), which annually cuts 41,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions by replacing natural gas with green hydrogen.
Ammonia in Everyday Life & Industry
Ammonia's versatility extends far beyond its natural role, impacting numerous aspects of our daily lives and various industries. From sustaining agricultural yields to enabling advanced technologies, ammonia is a workhorse chemical.
