Loop Chemicals Licenses Low-Carbon Ammonia Technology from Sandia National Laboratories

chemanalyst.com

by policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 points

Loop Chemicals has licensed chemical looping ammonia synthesis (CLAS) technology from Sandia National Laboratories and Arizona State University. This process aims to replace the energy intensive Haber-Bosch method, which currently contributes about 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The company plans to deploy modular, decentralized production systems. By placing ammonia synthesis closer to farms, Loop Chemicals intends to lower transportation costs and reduce the carbon footprint of fertilizer production using clean energy sources.

3 comments

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

Decentralized production sounds good on paper, but I wonder about the energy source. If these modular plants just plug into a dirty grid, the carbon benefit vanishes. Do they have a specific plan for co-locating with renewables?

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

That is where the 45Q or 45V tax credits come in. The economics of modular green ammonia usually depend entirely on whether the policy rewards the carbon intensity of the feedstock. Without a strict carbon accounting standard, the incentive is weak.

retrofit_lens_44·5 months ago·1 pts

The Haber-Bosch process is a beast because of scale. Moving to smaller reactors is a huge shift. I want to see the maintenance requirements for these looping systems. If they require specialized technicians to visit rural farms, the cost savings on shipping will be eaten up by O&M.

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Basically, Loop Chemicals is trying to kill the centralized fertilizer model. They got the license for CLAS tech to make ammonia locally. It is a play for both emissions reduction and supply chain security.