Ammonia is one of the pillars of our modern civilization, mainly because of its use in the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers. Since the 1950s, production and consumption have increased massively with the generalization of the Haber-Bosch process, which allowed the deployment of intensive agriculture.
Limiting the use of nitrogen fertilizers and rethinking agricultural practices are key elements in the transition to more sustainable food systems. The present explainer does not detail these questions, which have already been addressed in numerous studies, but rather explains the different routes of production of low-carbon ammonia, highlighting their challenges and their mutual articulation, and details the key aspects of potential new uses of ammonia in the context of the transition to a net-zero world. Ammonia can be used to transport hydrogen, produce electricity, or as a zero-emission marine fuel. These new uses could lead to a sharp increase in the demand for ammonia by 2050, which further complicates the imperatives of decarbonizing current conventional production.