--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260908-green-ammonia-minnesota-wind-power-haber-bosch-pilot/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Minnesota green ammonia pilot scales to 1 tonne per day, proving wind-powered fertilizer production works Publication Date: 2026-09-08T19:00:00-04:00 Last Updated: 2026-09-08T01:39:49-04:00 Author: Timothy Bueno (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/timbueno/) 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/) ![Windmill for electric power production, Burgos Province, Castilla Leon, Spain.](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/windmill-for-electric-power-production-burgos-province-castilla-leon-spain-stockpack-istock-scaled.jpg) The Morris facility uses on-site electrolyzers and wind energy to produce ammonia without fossil fuels, keeping fertilizer dollars local. A green ammonia pilot at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris is scaling toward a target of approximately one metric ton of zero-carbon ammonia per day, making it one of the most advanced small-scale renewable fertilizer projects in the United States. The facility uses on-site electrolyzers to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, then combines the hydrogen with nitrogen separated from ambient air using the century-old Haber-Bosch process — powered entirely by Minnesota wind energy. ## How the Morris green ammonia facility works The plant eliminates fossil fuels from the ammonia synthesis chain. Conventional ammonia production uses natural gas both as a feedstock (for hydrogen) and as an energy source, generating roughly 1.6 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of ammonia. At Morris, the hydrogen comes from water electrolysis and the energy comes from the local wind resource, producing ammonia with no direct carbon emissions. The core engineering challenge is operating the Haber-Bosch reactor under fluctuating renewable power. Wind output varies by the hour, and the electrolyzers must ramp up and down accordingly. The ability to run reliably under these conditions is the innovation the research team hopes to commercialize — not the chemistry itself, which is well understood, but the integration with variable renewable supply. ## The economic case for decentralized green ammonia production For Minnesota, the opportunity may be more economic than environmental. The state's farmers spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on anhydrous ammonia, virtually all of it produced from natural gas at large centralized plants and shipped in by rail and truck. A network of small wind-powered ammonia plants could keep a portion of those dollars circulating in rural communities, the university argues. At current natural gas prices, conventional ammonia costs roughly $400–500 per tonne at the plant gate. [Green ammonia remains more expensive](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260624-green-ammonia-shifts-from-ambition-to-execution-in-2026-as-electrolyzer-costs-fall-and-policy-matures/), with most pilot-scale projects reporting costs above $700 per tonne. Closing that gap depends on continued declines in electrolyzer capital costs, access to cheap wind power and potential revenue from federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. ## Where Minnesota fits in the green ammonia landscape The Morris project sits at the small, decentralized end of a rapidly growing global green ammonia sector. At the industrial scale, Envision Energy's Chifeng facility in China has reached 300,000 tonnes per year of capacity and shipped the world's first commercial green ammonia cargo in February 2026. Chile's $11 billion HNH Energy project and a $1 billion green ammonia hub in Jordan represent the utility-scale end of the market. Minnesota's approach targets a different niche: community-scale production for local agricultural use, bypassing long supply chains and reducing exposure to global shipping disruptions like the [Strait of Hormuz crisis](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260826-minnesota-nitrogen-fertilizer-efficiency-discount-program-2026/) that has roiled fertilizer markets throughout 2026. ## Outlook for wind-powered fertilizer production The research team expects to publish performance data from the scaling phase later this year. If the economics prove viable at the 1-tonne-per-day level, the model could be replicated across the Upper Midwest's wind corridor, where strong wind resources and concentrated fertilizer demand create favorable conditions for decentralized green ammonia production. Source: [University of Minnesota](https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/green-ammonia-project-aims-keep-fertilizer-dollars-minnesota) --- ## Key facts about the Minnesota green ammonia project ### Where is the facility and who operates it?+ The green ammonia pilot is located at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, Minnesota. It is operated by university researchers and is part of a broader initiative to develop renewable-energy-based agricultural production in the Upper Midwest. ### What production capacity is the project targeting?+ The project is scaling toward approximately one metric ton of ammonia per day. At that rate, the facility would produce roughly 365 tonnes per year — enough to supply nitrogen to several thousand acres of corn, depending on application rates. The university has not disclosed the total project budget. ### How does it compare with conventional ammonia production costs?+ Conventional ammonia produced from natural gas costs roughly $400–500 per tonne at the plant gate under current U.S. gas prices. Green ammonia at pilot scale typically exceeds $700 per tonne. Closing the gap depends on further electrolyzer cost reductions, cheap wind power and eligibility for federal production tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. ### What makes this approach different from industrial-scale green ammonia projects?+ Industrial-scale green ammonia projects, such as Envision's 300,000-tonne-per-year Chifeng plant in China, are designed for export markets and large offtakers. The Morris pilot targets community-scale, decentralized production for local farm use, bypassing long-distance shipping and reducing vulnerability to global supply chain disruptions. ### Could this model be replicated elsewhere?+ The Upper Midwest's combination of strong wind resources and concentrated fertilizer demand makes it a natural corridor for decentralized green ammonia. If the Morris project demonstrates viable economics at 1 tonne per day, similar facilities could be deployed across wind-rich agricultural regions in Iowa, the Dakotas, Kansas and Nebraska. Performance data from the current scaling phase is expected later in 2026. Tags: [agriscience](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/agriscience/), [decarbonization](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/decarbonization/), [electrolysis](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/electrolysis/), [green ammonia](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/green-ammonia/), [Haber-Bosch](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/haber-bosch/), [Minnesota](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/minnesota/), [nitrogen](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/nitrogen/), [renewable energy](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/renewable-energy/), [research](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/research/), [sustainability](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/sustainability/), [United States](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/united-states/), [University of Minnesota](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/university-of-minnesota/) --- **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. 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