Ammobia says it has reinvented a century-old technology | TechCrunch

"Ammonia might be the world's most under appreciated chemical. Without it, crops would go unfertilized and billions of people would starve. Humans started making ammonia in large amounts just over a century ago, and since then the process used to make it, known as Haber-Bosch, hasn't changed much. A new startup, Ammobia, says that it has tweaked the Haber-Bosch process to lower the cost by up to 40%."

"Ammonia is viewed by some as an alternative to hydrogen to decarbonize a range of industries. Countries like Japan and South Korea have developed industrial and transportation roadmaps that rely on ammonia. Hydrogen, the other leading contender, isn't as energy dense and its transportation infrastructure isn't as well developed as ammonia. "The big advantage of ammonia is that it's much easier and more cost-effective to transport and store," Ammobia co-founder and CEO Karen Baert told TechCrunch. "That opens up a range of opportunities.""

"But those opportunities won't amount to much if ammonia production doesn't clean up its act. The Haber-Bosch process is one of the world's big polluters, producing nearly 2% of global greenhouse gases. To make ammonia, plants using Haber-Bosch employ an iron catalyst to force one molecule of nitrogen to react with three molecules of hydrogen. The reaction requires high heat (500˚ C) and pressure (around 200 bar or 2,900 psi) to sustain, both of which tend to be supplied by burning fossil fuels."

Ammonia is essential for fertilizer production and food security. Humans began large-scale ammonia production just over a century ago using the Haber-Bosch process, which has remained largely unchanged. Ammobia claims a tweak to Haber-Bosch can lower production costs by up to 40% and has raised a $7.5 million seed round from investors including ALIAD, Chevron, Chiyoda, MOL Switch, and Shell Ventures. Ammonia offers higher energy density and easier transport and storage than hydrogen, making it attractive for decarbonizing industries and transportation. The Haber-Bosch process produces nearly 2% of global greenhouse gases and requires high heat and pressure, often supplied by burning fossil fuels and using fossil-derived hydrogen feedstock.

Read at TechCrunch