Green ammonia explained: how it's made and why it matters for net zero emissions

Green ammonia is ammonia produced without carbon emissions, using renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and then combine it with nitrogen from air. Conventional ammonia production releases about 2.4 tonnes of carbon per tonne of ammonia, but green ammonia avoids that entirely. It can decarbonize fertilizer production, maritime shipping fuel, and Australia's mining explosives sector while building demand for green hydrogen supply chains. Current green ammonia production is less than 1% of global output and costs two to six times more than conventional ammonia. However, Australia's renewable energy potential and existing industrial expertise position it to scale up production. This could strengthen agricultural resilience against price spikes from geopolitical instability and support new low-carbon industries for a net zero world.