Australia

Scientists Create Ammonia from Air Using Artificial Lightning

JUL 5 2025·Updated JUL 6 2025

Story

Above: The new ammonia import terminal of the Norwegian company Yara International in the port of Ostermoor. Image credit: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance/Getty Images

The Facts

University of Sydney researchers have developed a plasma-driven method to produce ammonia gas directly from air using artificial lightning, thereby bypassing the traditional liquid-phase production process that requires additional energy-intensive conversion steps.
Bioengineer.org
The Sydney Morning Herald
The new process combines plasma technology with membrane-based electrolysis to excite nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air and then convert them to gaseous ammonia under ambient conditions without requiring high temperatures or pressures.
Interesting Engineering
PHYS
Traditional ammonia production relies on the century-old Haber-Bosch process, which accounts for 90% of production and requires fossil fuels, high energy consumption, and centralized facilities near cheap natural gas sources, thereby contributing significantly to carbon emissions.
XINHUA
The University of Sydney
The research, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, demonstrates a catalyst achieving 628 nmol·s⁻¹·cm⁻² ammonia production rate with nearly 100% faradaic efficiency, potentially enabling decentralized fertilizer production on farms.
XINHUA
Onlinelibrary
The plasma component of the two-step process has achieved commercial viability in terms of energy efficiency and scalability. However, researchers continue to work on improving the efficiency of the electrolyzer component to compete with Haber-Bosch production.
Interesting Engineering
The University of Sydney
Ammonia serves as a key ingredient in fertilizers, supporting nearly half of global food production, and shows promise as a carbon-free fuel for the shipping industry, which accounts for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
PHYS
Bioengineer.org
ScienceDaily

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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

This breakthrough represents a game-changing shift toward sustainable agriculture and clean energy. The plasma-driven method eliminates the massive carbon footprint of traditional ammonia production while enabling farmers to produce fertilizer on-site. This technology democratizes ammonia production, aligning perfectly with global net-zero ambitions.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bioengineer.org

Techno-skeptic narrative

While promising, this technology faces significant hurdles before commercial viability. The electrolyzer efficiency remains suboptimal compared to established Haber-Bosch processes, and scaling from laboratory prototypes to industrial production presents substantial technical and economic challenges that may limit near-term adoption.

Sciencedirect