NitroVolt is a startup with a mission to revolutionize ammonia production by creating a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based methods. Currently, ammonia synthesis contributes to about 1.5% of global CO2 emissions, which approximately 80% of ammonia used in fertilizers. The remaining serves various industries, including refrigeration, wastewater purification, plastic manufacturing, explosives, textiles, pesticides, and many other chemicals.
To address this challenge, NitroVolt has developed a patent-pending lithium mediated ammonia synthesis process using a synthesis reactor called Nitrolyzer. The process within the Nitrolyzer involves reducing lithium salt to metallic lithium, which then reacts with nitrogen to form nitrate, easily protonated by hydrogen generated through water splitting. This reaction forms ammonia, and the lithium is recycled, enabling a continuous, sustainable process in the patent-pending flow-cell reactor.
The process uses renewable electricity and non-fossil fuel inputs to produce green ammonia directly at the point of use, such as on farms or in greenhouses. NitroVolt's modular units are intended to be scalable, producing between 150 and 1,000 kg of ammonia per day according to customers' needs.
NitroVolt’s technology aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger (Goal 2), Responsible Production and Consumption (Goal 12), and Climate Action (Goal 13). The Nitrolyzer is supported by three pending patents, covering the inputs, reactor operation, and flow-cell design and catalysis.
Technical University of Denmark
