Innovation Platform
NICCEE Core Function
The Innovation Platform aims to foster the co-development of new nitrogen technologies through a user-centered, participatory approach.
The Innovation Platform will not directly produce or implement green ammonia technologies, but rather serve as a catalyst for cross-scale collaboration. Active engagement of stakeholder groups across sectors and collaboration with researchers will enable the co-production of solutions that drive effective and sustainable technological innovation.
NICCEE Summer Event Series
Leading scientists, policymakers, agronomists, and innovators from around the world gathered in Guelph, Ontario for the third annual NICCEE Nitrogen Summer Institute (June 15 – 17, 2026) and Canadian Green Ammonia Workshop (June 18, 2026).
These events fostered cross-sector collaboration and advanced actionable strategies for sustainable nitrogen management around the world.
Explore key takeaways, resources, and materials using the link below.
Green Ammonia in US Agriculture: Policy Pathways to Decarbonize Fertilizer Production and Empower Rural Communities
A new policy brief from NICCEE’s Innovation Hub.
Learn about Living Lab - Ontario and NICCEE Field Efforts
NICCEE’s Innovation Platform is proud to collaborate with the Ontario Living Lab site and their work mitigating greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms.
At the Ontario farm field site, researchers are investigating how best management practices (BMPs) like inhibitors can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agriculture.
Watch the video to learn more from NICCEE-Canada Lead Claudia Wagner-Riddle & PhD student Chi Vi.
Partner Profiles: NICCEE's Exclusive Interview Series
Learn about NICCEE’s collaborators in the NICCEE Partner Profile series!
Our latest profile features FuelPositive co-founders Ian Clifford and Luna Charlebois, discussing FuelPositive’s decentralized, on-farm green ammonia systems, farmer independence, supply chain resilience, and more.
Profile Archive
Science & Technology Snapshot: Green ammonia fact sheet
The table below compares grey, blue, and green ammonia, including production methods, costs, carbon dioxide emissions, environmental impacts and significance in agriculture. Prepared by Yulei Wang.
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Grey ammonia | Blue ammonia | Green ammonia | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
“First generation” | “Second generation” | ||||
Developed | Around 1909 [1] | 2018 [2] | 2019 [3,4] | In research [5] | |
Definition [5,6] | Ammonia produced using fossil fuel in the Haber-Bosch process and fossil fuels-derived hydrogen. [7] | Ammonia produced using fossil fuels in the Haber-Bosch process and methane-derived hydrogen, while incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to mitigate CO2 emissions. | Ammonia generated using renewable electricity (e.g., wind, solar, hydro, etc) for Haber-Bosch Process and hydrogen from renewable sources. | Ammonia synthesized from water and nitrogen through biological nitrogen fixation or electrochemical production. | |
H2 Source [5,6] | Fossil fuels-derived hydrogen | Hydrogen from steam methane reforming. | Hydrogen from water electrolysis using renewable electricity (e.g., wind, solar, hydro, etc). [8] | Reacting with water directly and no hydrogen is needed. | |
Energy Source | Fossil fuels (Coal, heavy fuel oil, naphtha, natural gas) [5] | Fossil fuels [5] | Renewable electricity (e.g., wind, solar, hydro, etc) [6] | Renewable electricity, potentially including bioenergy [5] | |
Cost range [5] | 170-330 £/t | 190-370 £/t | 220-1220 £/t | 220-1220 £/t | |
CO2 emissions | Coal-derived hydrogen: 2.4 to 3.2 tons of CO2 per ton of ammonia; Methane-derived hydrogen: 1.6 to 1.8 tons of CO2 per ton of ammonia [5,6,9] | Around 0.1-0.2 tons of CO2 per ton of ammonia [6] | 0 [6] | 0 [6] | |
Reaction Temperature [5] | 350-500 °C | 350-500 °C | 300-500 °C [10] | Atmospheric temperature | |
Reaction Pressure [5] | 150-300 bar | 150-300 bar | 150-300 bar | Atmospheric pressure | |
Reactors | Haber-Bosch reactor [11] | Haber-Bosch reactor with integrated carbon capture systems [5] | Electrolyzers for H₂ production, then Haber-Bosch reactor for ammonia synthesis [5] | Advanced reactors using biological processes or Electrolysis Cell [5] | |
Environmental and Ecological Impact [5,9] | High CO2 emissions contribute to climate change; Significant energy consumption (8 MWh of energy per ton of ammonia), Water pollution. | Lower CO2 emissions than grey ammonia; water pollution. | Minimal greenhouse gas emissions; sustainable water use. Decentralized green ammonia plants leading to on-site ammonia production shortens the supply chain, reducing or eliminating ammonia transportation costs and logistical issues. [12] | Near Zero Emissions; The benefits of decentralized green ammonia remain consistent. Furthermore, energy consumption is reduced in the absence of the Haber-Bosch process; Aims for circular economy principles. | |
Impact on Agricultural Fields | Grey ammonia is widely used as a nitrogen fertilizer; Over-reliance can lead to soil acidification; Over-applied can lead to eutrophication. [13] | Blue ammonia provides nitrogen to plants; The same risks as grey ammonia in soil acidification and eutrophication. | Same as grey and blue ammonia. | Biological Nitrogen Fixation promises to enhance sustainability in fertilizer use as only what the crop needs is produced – resulting in low residual nitrogen levels in soil, limited soil acidification and very reduced nitrous oxide emissions and risk of eutrophication. Electrochemical production similar impacts to grey and blue ammonia. [5] | |
1. The Historical Development and Significance of the Haber Bosch Process, http://www.ipni.net/publication/bettercrops.nsf/0/F717A1BE5453305E85257CDA0071476C/$FILE/BC%202014-2%20p9.pdf
2. K. Hiraoka, Y.Fujimura, Y.Watanabe, M.Kai, K.Sakata, Y.Ishimoto, Y.Mizuno, Cost Evaluation Study on Low Carbon Ammonia and Coal Co-Fired Power Generation. In: NH3 fuel conference 2018.
3. Y. Fujimura, M. Kai, T. Fujimoto, S. Fujimoto, R. Atsumi, M. Nishi, T. Mochizuki, and T. Nanba, Demonstration and Optimization of Green Ammonia Production Operation Responding to Fluctuating Hydrogen Production from Renewable Energy. Ammonia Energy Conference 2019, Orlando, USA.
4. Techno-Economic Challenges of Green Ammonia as an Energy Vector, Chapter 3, Industry progress in ammonia.
5. The Royal Society Ammonia: Zero-Carbon Fertiliser, Fuel andEnergy Store: Policy Briefing. Royal Society, 2020. https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/green-ammonia/green-ammonia-policy-briefing.pdf
6. ACS Energy Lett. 2024, 9, 2920−292.
7. Brown, grey, and turquoise ammonia are grouped as grey ammonia here.
8. Nuclear power is an option for conducting electrolysis but is not typically considered a primary source for generating green ammonia.
9. International Energy Agency. Ammonia Technology Roadmap: Towards More Sustainable Nitrogen Fertiliser Production. International Energy Agency (IEA), 2021. https://www.iea.org/reports/ammonia-technology-roadmap
10. FuelPositive Corporation, https://fuelpositive.com/about-us/
11. Chem. Eng. Process. 2024, 204, 109962.
12. AmmPower, https://www.iamm.green/how-it-works/
13. Plant Soil 2024, DOI: 10.1007/s11104-024-06600-2
Visit our Virtual Farm and Green Ammonia Installation
This interactive Virtual Reality (VR) tool was created by NICCEE intern Jason Haley to foster a better understanding of green ammonia in agriculture. The immersive app is an educational web tool that simulates a farm with a modular green ammonia installation.
The Green Ammonia Technology Advisory Committee
NICCEE’s Green Ammonia Technology Advisory Committee (GATAC) comprises leaders in green ammonia production and application. The committee provides critical insights to NICCEE’s Innovation Team regarding the future of green ammonia technology, and it helps shape the direction of NICCEE’s research and future initiatives. The GATAC is led by NICCEE team members Nianqiang (Nick) Wu and Mario Tenuta.
