CF Industries and Poet to test low-carbon ammonia for greener corn production

CF Industries Holdings, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products, and POET LLC, the world’s largest biofuel producer, have announced a collaboration to pilot the use of low-carbon ammonia fertilizer. This initiative is designed to reduce the carbon intensity of corn production and ethanol, anticipating a significant rise in demand for lower-carbon ethanol to meet evolving fuel standards.

Ammonia, a common fertilizer for U.S. corn, typically has an emissions-intensive production process, significantly contributing to the lifecycle carbon intensity of both corn and ethanol production. By using low-carbon ammonia, the carbon intensity of ethanol can potentially be reduced by up to 10%. The first applications of this low-carbon ammonia are targeted for fall 2024, with further applications planned for spring 2025, culminating in a harvest by fall 2025.

The companies will develop a low-carbon fertilizer supply chain to track, validate, and certify carbon intensity reductions from CF Industries’ Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana, USA, to POET’s ethanol production locations in the USA: Bingham Lake, MN, Emmetsburg, IA, Fairmont, NE, and North Manchester, IN. This effort includes implementing supply plans with fertilizer retailers and exploring monetization opportunities for farmers using low-carbon fertilizer.

For the pilot, green ammonia produced at CF Industries’ Donaldsonville Complex will be utilized. Green ammonia is made using hydrogen from an electrolysis-based process that produces no carbon dioxide emissions. CF Industries has recently completed the installation of a 20MW electrolyzer at this facility and will purchase renewable energy certificates to support green ammonia production. Additional low-carbon ammonia will be available beginning in 2025, coinciding with the start of a large-scale carbon capture and sequestration project at the facility.