17. July 2026
(CONNECT) Researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen in the Swiss canton of Aargau have taken part in an international investigation aimed at identifying locations where ammonia could be produced in a climate-friendly manner and in close proximity to where it is actually needed. According to a statement, the project also involves the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University in California.
Around the world, ammonia is required for fertilizer production. At present, this commodity is produced by a small number of large manufacturers and transported across long distances. “Decentralized plants could shorten supply chains, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the fertilizer supply more robust”, comments Tom Terlouw, a scientist at the Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis at PSI, in the statement. “But they would not automatically be low carbon or economical. The crucial factors are their location and the source of the electricity”, he adds.
The ammonia synthesis process involves nitrogen from the air being combined with hydrogen. Currently, this hydrogen is mostly derived from natural gas, and production results in significant carbon dioxide emissions. Producing green hydrogen using renewable energy would be a more climate-friendly approach. To identify potential sites for this purpose, the team analyzed approximately 13,000 scenarios across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Renewable energies are required to produce hydrogen from water via electrolysis, which would be economically viable in locations where renewable energy sources, for example solar and wind power, are abundant. The team concluded that hybrid systems combining renewable energy and electricity from the public grid would be the most suitable option. According to the information, however, this advantage would be lost if the electricity is obtained predominantly from coal or gas-fired power plants. The researchers also factored in the environmental footprint related to the production of electrolyzers, solar and wind power plants, batteries and storage systems.
For Switzerland, which as of now does not produce its own ammonia, a decentralized facility of this kind could prove to be a profitable venture, as the country’s comparatively low-carbon grid electricity based around hydropower and nuclear power could be used. The study concludes that significant improvements to the economic viability of the electric process could be made by 2050. ce/ww
