On farm generation of nitrogen fertilizer

Pete Kennedy

The technology currently exists as a lab-scale experimental setup at UMN. The production of various nitrogen species has been proven. A variety of catalysts and process parameters (e.g. temperature, pressure) have been investigated to determine the most favorable combination to produce nitrate. The efficient use of electrical energy will be key to the commercial success of producing nitrogen fertilizer on a distributed scale. Further investigation into catalysts and process parameters, different NTP reactors, as well as duty cycle testing of a demonstrator unit, is required to increase nitrate production rates and reduce the amount of energy required per unit of nitrate.