Nitrofix Solutions in a nutshell
Location: DTU, Copenhagen, Denmark
Status: Non-incorporated
We are developing a small-scale ammonia synthesis unit, to give farmers control over fertilizer production. We do so through our patented electrochemical process. Our aim is to decarbonized nitrogen fertilizer production one farm at the time, cut the logistic costs of distributing fertilizer, and make the agricultural sector more resilient. We are also considering the potential energy applications of our solution to use ammonia as energy carrier and/or long-term energy storage.
How much CO2 emissions can your solution save?
Today, every tonne of NH3 produced releases 1.8 tonnes CO2. An average farmer needs around 50 tonnes of N-based fertilizer per year, so for every farm our system is deployed, we would save 90 tonnes of CO2 per year. This does not account for CO2 released when transporting the current centralized production out to the point-of-use at the farm, so in reality, the amount of CO2 saved is even higher with our units. Assuming an optimistic growth in our start-up, we could abate 0.25 Mtonnes CO2 by 2030 from the deployment of our units in 1200 EU farms.
Does your solution depend on suppliers from outside Europe?
Our current prototype sources components mostly from EU manufacturers, with some smaller parts from the USA. Our chemistry, however, resembles that of lithium-ion batteries, and therefore depends on the lithium supply-chain, which does not exist in Europe. However, the lithium needed in each of our units is quite small, on the order of 1/100th of the needs of an average electric vehicle.
Part of:
Founders:
- Suzanne Zamany Andersen – Ph.D. in Physics and Nanotechnology
- Mattia Saccoccio – PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Ib Chorkendorff – Prof. in experimental surface science applied to catalysis at DTU Physics
- Jens Kehlet Nørskov – Prof. in theoretical catalysis at DTU Physics
