UT coordinates €20.3 million research into green nitrogen chemistry

Jimmy Faria Albanese, main applicant and coordinator of HyNITROGEN, says: "Nitrogen fertilisers feed almost half the world's population, but producing them consumes vast amounts of natural gas. With this consortium, we will have the critical mass, the partners, and the range of technologies needed to bring us closer to scalable processes for green ammonia production and nitrogen recovery and reutilisation. ”

The dominant production method for ammonia is the Haber-Bosch process. This process is one of the most important technologies developed by humanity. It enables the conversion of nitrogen from air into reactive nitrogen that can be used as fertiliser to increase crops yield. It has existed for over a century and has barely changed. The process works by reacting nitrogen from the air with hydrogen from natural gas, at high temperatures and pressures.

This process is highly optimised, but when coupled to green electricity or renewable hydrogen important stability challenges arise. Similarly, electrocatalysis and plasma-based processes offer fundamentally different routes to generate ammonia using green electrons, but relatively low energy efficiencies have limited the scale-up of these processes. HyNITROGEN aims to overcome these barriers and transform green nitrogen chemistry from a promising concept into a scalable technology.

The consortium develops energy-efficient, low-carbon technologies and scales them up from laboratory scale to pilots. It works on green ammonia based on renewable electricity, green hydrogen and nitrogen from the air. At the same time, it develops technologies to recover nitrogen from wastewater. This turns an environmental problem into a raw material for circular agriculture and clean water. New catalysts, electrocatalytic processes, plasma routes and improved separation techniques bring this approach closer to market.

HyNITROGEN brings together Dutch and European industry, SMEs and knowledge institutes to build the technology base for a chemical sector that stays competitive in a sustainable future. New technologies from the project will strengthen the Netherlands' long-term earning capacity by translating knowledge into commercially attractive technologies. The Netherlands already holds a strong position in the chemical industry and in wastewater technology. HyNITROGEN builds on that further.

All of this will happen as we train the next generation of technical staff, engineers, and scientists that will spearhead the energy transition. Students and researchers at universities of applied sciences and research universities across the Netherlands are trained in both current industrial practices and the new approaches that HyNITROGEN is developing. Stakeholders from industry and society will be involved in the project from the start to map out benefits, risks and impacts. This builds public support for the transition to sustainable chemistry.

HyNITROGEN – Green Nitrogen Valorization Technologies for Sustainable Energy, Fertilizers, and Chemicals
Main applicant: Prof. Jimmy Faria Albanese – University of Twente
Technical managers: Prof. Harry Bitter – Wageningen University & Research, Prof. Fokko Mulder – Delft University of Technology

Consortium partners: Avans University of Applied Sciences, Bosal Netherlands, Casale SA, CATALYZER, CatOlyst B.V., CIRCONICA, DIFFER, Division Q, Ebert Hera, ETB Global, Fluidwell, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, Hauzer Techno Coating B.V., Hyet NoCarbon, IHI Europe Ltd., Johnson Matthey, MEVALDI B.V., N2 Applied, Nijhuis Water Technology B.V., Nobian Industrial Chemicals B.V., Nouryon, ON2Quest, Port of Rotterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, University of Groningen, STTLS, TNO, TOLSA NETHERLANDS B.V., TOLSA S.A., Topsoe R&D, Business Centre Treeport, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, Umicore AG & Co KG., University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, Maastricht University, University of Twente, Utrecht University, VITALFLUID, Wageningen University & Research.

The National Growth Fund programme GroenvermogenNL is the Dutch investment programme for green assets in the economy and society. Green hydrogen is intended to drive the transition to sustainable energy. The programme runs until 2030 and is implemented by NWO.