--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260611-minnesota-wind-to-ammonia-plant-scales-up-as-a-hedge-on-fertilizer-prices/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Minnesota wind-to-ammonia plant aims to supply local farmers with more affordable fertilizer Publication Date: 2026-06-11T14:00:00-04:00 Last Updated: 2026-06-25T00:13:38-04:00 Author: Editors (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/fertilizereditors/) Categories: [AgTech & Research](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/agtech-and-research/), [Green & Low-Carbon](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/sustainability/green-low-carbon/), [Sustainability](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/sustainability/) ![Clean Energy Future with Wind and Solar](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/clean-energy-future-with-wind-and-solar-stockpack-istock-scaled.jpg) The University of Minnesota plant makes ammonia from wind, water and air, and is expanding to blunt price swings for farmers. A wind-powered green ammonia plant at the University of Minnesota is expanding, in a bet that farmer-owned, locally made nitrogen can buffer growers from volatile global fertilizer prices, MinnPost reported. The [demonstration facility](https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/research/renewable-energy/wind-hydrogen) at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris produces about a ton of ammonia a day from wind electricity, water, and air. It uses electrolysis to split hydrogen from water, then combines it with nitrogen from the air through the Haber-Bosch process, removing fossil natural gas from the recipe. ![](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/wind-to-ammonia-01-1024x786.png)Image Credits: [University of Minnesota](https://system.umn.edu/) A third electrolyzer being added is expected to lift output toward 300 to 400 tonnes a year. Lead researcher Michael Reese said the site is a gateway to broader green hydrogen uses, from fertilizer to steelmaking. ![](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/wind-to-ammonia-02-1024x718.png)Image Credits: [University of Minnesota](https://system.umn.edu/) Minnesota farmers buy roughly 800,000 tonnes of fertilizer a year, and locally produced ammonia could shorten supply chains and dampen price swings tied to gas markets and imports. The work dovetails with a wider state push. A Minnesota green ammonia coalition has lined up an offtake deal under which Central Farm Service would buy locally made ammonia over 10 years, with commercial volumes targeted later this decade. ![](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/wind-to-ammonia-03-1024x756.png)Image Credits: [University of Minnesota](https://system.umn.edu/) Researchers caution that scaling green ammonia to commercial cost parity remains the central challenge. Source: [MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/energy/2026/06/this-wind-powered-green-ammonia-plant-could-be-a-gateway-to-buffering-minnesota-farmers-from-volatile-fertilizer-prices/) --- ## Five things to know about green ammonia in Minnesota ### What is green ammonia?+ Green ammonia is made using renewable electricity rather than fossil natural gas. Electrolysis splits hydrogen from water, and that hydrogen is combined with nitrogen from the air through the Haber-Bosch process. The result is the same ammonia used as fertilizer, but with a much lower carbon footprint. ### How big is the Morris plant?+ The demonstration plant currently makes about a tonne of ammonia a day. A third electrolyzer being installed is expected to raise annual output toward 300 to 400 tonnes, still a research-scale volume rather than commercial production. ### Why does it matter for farmers?+ Minnesota farmers buy roughly 800,000 tonnes of fertilizer a year, much of it tied to natural gas prices and imports. Locally produced ammonia could shorten supply chains and give growers a hedge against the price volatility that has hit nitrogen markets. ### Who is involved?+ The plant is run by the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, led by researcher Michael Reese. A separate state coalition is advancing commercial green ammonia, including an offtake agreement under which Central Farm Service would buy locally made ammonia over 10 years. ### What is the catch?+ Cost is the obstacle. Green ammonia remains more expensive to produce than conventional gas-based ammonia, and reaching commercial cost parity is the central challenge before the model can scale beyond demonstration and pilot volumes. Tags: [ammonia](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/ammonia/), [ammonia production](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/ammonia-production/), [green ammonia](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/green-ammonia/), [green energy](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/green-energy/), [green hydrogen](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/green-hydrogen/), [Minnesota](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/minnesota/), [research](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/research/), [United States](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/united-states/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. 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