Making Fertilizer from Air and Electricity: A New Path for Farmers

Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for modern agriculture—but producing it has traditionally required large, centralized industrial plants. Most fertilizer used on farms today is manufactured using the Haber-Bosch process, a century-old technology that relies on high temperatures, high pressures, and large quantities of natural gas.

A growing number of researchers and entrepreneurs are exploring alternatives that could produce nitrogen fertilizer using electricity instead of fossil fuels.

Recently, Dr. Pascal Mickelson, Lead Scientist at Arctura, was interviewed by Washington State University for an article examining the emerging idea of on-farm fertilizer production using plasma technology.

➡️ Read the full article from WSU here:
https://smallgrains.wsu.edu/onfarmfertilizer/

Rethinking Nitrogen Fertilizer

Today’s nitrogen fertilizer supply chain is highly centralized. Roughly 450 ammonia plants worldwide produce nearly all synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which must then be transported long distances before reaching farms.

In the United States, much of the ammonia used for fertilizer production is manufactured near natural gas facilities along the Gulf Coast. From there it is shipped thousands of miles by rail and truck before reaching growers in regions such as the Pacific Northwest.

This system is efficient and well established—but it also leaves farmers dependent on long supply chains and global energy markets.

Technologies that could enable local fertilizer production have therefore attracted growing interest.

Electrifying Nitrogen Fixation

In the WSU article, Dr. Mickelson explains how plasma chemistry offers a fundamentally different way to convert atmospheric nitrogen into useful fertilizer.

Nitrogen gas (N₂) is famously difficult to break apart because its atoms are held together by a strong triple bond. The Haber-Bosch process overcomes this challenge by applying high temperatures (400–500 °C) and high pressures.

Plasma systems approach the problem differently.

Rather than heating entire molecules to extreme temperatures, plasmas generate high-energy electrons that can selectively activate nitrogen molecules. This allows nitrogen fixation to occur at much lower bulk temperatures—typically in the range of 150–250 °C.

Because plasma processes are powered by electricity, they can potentially be paired with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Electrification is part of a broader trend across industry as companies look for ways to decarbonize chemical manufacturing.

From Plasma to Fertilizer

One promising approach discussed in the article is plasma-activated water, which produces nitrate fertilizer directly.

In this process, air is exposed to an electrical discharge that generates reactive nitrogen species such as nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). When these gases come into contact with water, they dissolve and form nitrate (NO₃⁻) and nitrite (NO₂⁻).

The resulting liquid can function as a nitrogen fertilizer and may also contain hydrogen peroxide, which has antimicrobial properties that could be useful for seed treatments and plant disease control.

Several startups are currently exploring systems that allow farmers to produce such nitrate solutions using only air, water, and electricity.

Toward Distributed Fertilizer Production

Dr. Mickelson notes that interest in electrified nitrogen fixation has grown rapidly over the past decade. Advances in plasma technology and reactor design have renewed interest in a concept that was first explored more than a century ago using electrical arcs.

Today, the motivation is slightly different.

Electrified nitrogen production could allow fertilizer to be manufactured closer to where it is used, potentially reducing transportation costs and improving resilience against supply disruptions.

For farmers—particularly those located far from major fertilizer production hubs—the ability to generate nitrogen products locally could offer a measure of independence from long supply chains.

An Emerging Field

Researchers and startups around the world are exploring a variety of approaches to decentralized fertilizer production. These include plasma-based nitrate systems, electrochemical nitrogen fixation technologies, and new approaches to producing green ammonia and green nitric acid using renewable electricity.

While many of these technologies are still under development, they point toward a future where nitrogen fertilizer production may become more distributed, electrified, and adaptable to local needs.

Dr. Mickelson’s interview highlights how advances in plasma science are contributing to this broader effort—and why the idea of producing fertilizer from air, water, and electricity is attracting increasing attention.